BSA's Image Problem

Boy Scouts of America - Transition to New Generation

Image Problem: 1. Having a negative view by the general public. 2. People or organizations that are seen as having an unfavorable opinion. 

Hear me out. I know this does not look good to start, but I am going somewhere. 

I have recently been in a few discussions that lead me to this article. I want to look at historical trends, and how do we as an organization get the program back on a growing path. I understand that some of what we are talking about is generational.  The largest generation of children, and family size is behind us. The baby boomers are now looking at retirement. However, participation in Scouts BSA is declining, albeit slowly. I think that some of the changes that have been implemented will help right this path, but I am going to start with an unpopular opinion. Scouts BSA has an image problem.  

I know this will be an unpopular opinion, and I am sure that some of you reading this will desire to argue with me until red-faced. Hear me out. I love Scouting. I see the value that it has. I want Scouting to succeed. I think it serves a great purpose for our children. I can hear it now, "If they have an image problem, why are you here?".  Remember this when you read my writings. I was never a Scout as a child. I had three daughters, and never gave Scouts a thought until my 4th-grade daughter came home with a flyer excited to join. At that point in time, she was excited, I was not. 

As I said, hear me out. I am here to promote Scouting and hopefully improve our image. Scouting much like politicians, are often liked locally, but on the overall organization, people do not hold it in the high opinion. Much like, I do not like politicians, and there should be term limits, but when asked about their local representatives, keep voting the same person in, because they are good people. Let me walk you through the points. The image problem is from a societal shift. I am not saying that traditions are necessarily a bad thing, but without looking at what we can do to improve and encourage membership the program will continue to contract. There are a lot of activities that our children can get involved in. Scouts is just one of them. Overall it has been pretty affordable in my opinion considering the registration is for 365 days, not just one season. However, getting new parents in the door can be a challenge. 

Baby boomer Scouting Numbers

From 1945to 1965 the baby boom swelled the ranks of young men and boys into Scouts BSA. These were children of those that survived World War II. Patriotism was at an all-time high. The children of veterans were a perfect recruiting ground, to get kids into an organization that promotes duty, God, and Country. The numbers in BSA swelled to nearly 5 million Scouts. It reached its peak in 1971.  Even with the Vietnam War raging, and cultural revolutions occurring, Scouts was as popular with families as it ever was going to be. Even with all going on in the world, these baby boomers were raised by the greatest generation. They were sent to Packs and Troops, and they found value in this programming. 

Now starting in 1965-1980, we have Generation X).  Children that were born to counter-culture parents. The parents of this generation were alive for the civil rights movement, Vietnam, Nixon, Watergate, JFK, and the moon landing. They grew their hair and protested the war. They were part of the Rights Movements:  Civil, Gay, Women's Rights.  They were more inspired by cultural leaders like Martin Luther King Jr, than Dwight D. Eisenhower. They saw the corruption of Nixon and pushed for cultural change. This was one of the first blows to scouting, as Scouts are the establishment. I am not saying they were unpatriotic, in fact, some of the most ardent patriots I know are baby boomers and Gen Xers.  What I am saying is that the children of baby boomers were taught to have a bit of a critical eye when deciding on trust. In the 1970's Scouting dropped 35%.  The straight-laced image of scouting was not as appealing to the parents. 

Millenial Scout Participation

Millenials - 1980-2000 - There is a bit of a subset here from 1979-1983 This includes me - They are a mix of both Gen X and Millenial (just as analog as digital). These are the children of Generation X. As I stated in the previous paragraph. Scouting dropped 35% with Generation X. So the nostalgia also dropped 35%. Think about when kids are selecting their activities. Fathers are ready to relive some of their youth when they get their son to play baseball, or daughters join softball. For an additional 35% of Americans, they had no memory of their time Scouting. We were a generation post-civil rights.  We were a generation born during the green movement. We grew up in a digital world. We know how to use books, but we can easily research our views on our own. We became adults during the rise of social media, and we had more information at our fingertips than any previous generation. We did not have to rely on a filter, edited content. 

Now to get back to my point. Image problem. Millennials are not a fan of exclusive clubs. We often get made fun of for our participation trophies, and high expectations for minimal work. I get it. There are some of us that statement holds true for. Going back to my first point. Scouting, and the conservative nature that it has, caused a little dissonance among Millenial parents. This same attitude has affected many organizations. Organizations that exclude membership on the basis of sex, race, or sexual orientation have all seen declines. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It caused many organizations to look at their practices, and realize that they needed to make a change. Many social organizations for men, added women's components. Many organizations that denied race, ceased to exist, (Scouts has been integrated for some time, I am speaking in general for all organizations). 

The Scouts had some bad press. BSA v Dale started this trend. Following their victory in court, the organization got a brand as anti-gay. This lasted for 15 years until they reversed their official position in 2015 to allow gay membership. However, 72% of their charter organizations were still given the right to discriminate. The 15 years of continued bad press again lead to a drop in the numbers. From 2000to 2015 BSA lost about 25% of its membership numbers. The total decline from the 1971 peak was 53%. They need to change course. Michael  Surbaugh saw the writing on the wall. He made a decision in 2017 to attempt to change some perceptions. He stood with a transgender child to allow them to scout. It was a surprise decision that no one saw coming. Then he shocked us again. 2019 - 

“I could not be more excited for what this means for the next generation of leaders in our nation,” “Through Scouts BSA, more young people than ever before – young women and men – will get to experience the benefits of camaraderie, confidence, resilience, trustworthiness, courage and kindness through a time-tested program that has been proven to build character and leadership.”

Now we are here. We are an inclusive organization, and we need to focus on this. As we emerge from a few decades of decline, partially due to frankly practices of gender exclusivity, and an abuse settlement, we have a chance to spread our message to the next generation of kids from 5to 18. Come back. This honestly isn't the BSA of the past. While we will share our Scout Oath and Law, and we will pass the skills of leadership, comradery, and fun, we will deliver these opportunities to your children in a much more modern way. Send us your sons and daughters knowing that the leadership will be inclusive of your beliefs, and respectful of your child's. We are a redefined, safer environment to get skills that the school system is poorly equipped to teach. We will foster your child's passions and interests, and through our methods, we will develop critical thinking, and leadership skills like no other program. 

We will teach your children how in this new world we live to work with a diverse group of others to accomplish goals, complete tasks, and lead each other through it. They will come out the other side better people ready to work and lead in a much more diverse community. They will understand how to navigate the sometimes complicated structures that working with people very different from them can bring. We will do it in the safest manner possible, with our methods, our values, and our traditions. Your kids will have opportunities to experience things like no other organization offers. We will teach them to work towards goals, help with expenses, and understand the value of teamwork, and commitment. 

Since I have become active on social media about Scouting, I guess because according to Facebook, I am a male, who once liked a sporting goods store, I get advertisements for Trail Life. It only took me about 1 minute of reading the comments sections from their membership to realize just how far Scouting has come in changing its image. I see the closeminded, sexist, homophobic comments, and I am so proud of how far Scouts BSA has come. I also thought to myself at first, this group is competing for our members.  Then I realized, good riddance. They are the voices, and opinions of the past. They are the same thoughts that drove membership at BSA down and made BSA a slowly dying organization because it was not in a position to entice the parents of the current generation to put their trust in the program. Now is the time for action. 

How do we get our message across to attract Gen Z children? Scouts BSA has not been positioned for a better image than before. Scouts BSA is emerging from a sexual abuse lawsuit.  They are inclusive, and they are teaching teamwork and leadership. These are all things that today's parents are looking for. We are both not your same old scouts, and we are the same old scouts, we just have more pink and rainbow tents. I am proud to be part of this change. I am glad to be here. I love the time that Scouts has afforded me with my child, that would have been missed. This is the message we need to spread. We need to be active in our communities. We need to be talking to our friends and neighbors. We need to show the new face of Scouts. We need to tell our stories. We need our kids to tell their stories. Nothing brings in new kids than seeing a group of kids loving what they are doing. Sign up to work booths at community day. March in the 4th of July parade. Take them to talk with their representative. Go forth into the community and do good things. volunteer at other organizations to help run events.  

Toos Day - Women in Scouting

National Women's Day

Today, March 8, 2022 is International Women's Day. I have thought about this for a few days before getting it all together. I know that I have focused on Girl Troops in BSA, but I started thinking about the world of Scouting. Women have played a vital role in Scouting long before they were allowed to join Scouting.

Without women being actively involved as den mothers, scoutmasters, assistant scoutmasters, committee volunteers, the program would not be where it is today. The fact that it took until 2019 when international scouting has included girls for decades sometimes baffles me. Scouting Wire attempted to highlight the accomplishments of five women. They saved 5 for the scout moms.  I looked at the other 4 and I thought to myself, they struggled to look back and honor women in scouting. The organization was exclusively for boys until 2019. Yes, I know that Ships, and Crews allowed co-ed children 14+ for a long time, but as we all know recruiting kids at 14 is not an easy task. It was a difficult task as there are no high-profile individuals to really highlight. I am hoping in 20-25 years an article like this will have a much different appearance. I was glad that this article did mention the unsung heroes, the scout moms. 

I recently completed Woodbadge N6-544-21, and what I found is that the leadership of Scouts is comprised of a large percentage of women. Without these dedicated women, Scouts would not exist. They were the former Den Mothers, and help build Troops by keeping activities fun, and Cubs involved. They gave their time so their sons could reap the benefits, all the while knowing that their daughters were not able to officially join. They brought their other children often girls with them, and they joined the activities, planting the seeds of change over a generation. These countless women laid the groundwork for family scouting. They are the real agents of change. While we look at the decisions of the National BSA, Local Councils, Dens, and Troops making changes, these Den Leaders as we call them now have had an impact well beyond most of their years of service. They went on the campouts, they taught the skills, and they planned the activities that allowed Cub to cross over to Scouts. They are an example that in certain realms, man or woman, isn't an important factor. They are the true unsung heroes of the Girls in Scouting movements. 

I was told that Den Mothers used to wear the pale yellow shirt and had a separate patch to enumerate their involvement. I have met a few female Scouters that still adorn the pale yellow shirt, and they have enjoyed explaining when they got involved. These women who wear the pale yellow still for the most part are the reason that our girls are involved today. I like to think of this uniform as the "throwback" uniform. 

I hope that as we move forward we can look at some of the ways that policies make access to scouting more difficult. We need to look at a world in which two female leaders can take a group of boys on an outing, but a group of two male leaders needs a female leader or parent to include a girl. This extra burden can ultimately impact access and recruitment. A single parent with multiple children might not have the ability my family did when dad just volunteered. It is a double standard, and it does have impacts. 

Today is National Women's Day, while I believe advocacy of equality can be part of it, I do not want to end with that. I would like to recognize all of the amazing women that I have come to know through my time in Scouting. The selfless, giving, and amazing spirit they bring to our organization. To the leaders, committee members, and women who support our organization, there is no recognition big enough to give you. To the young women blazing the path for those to come behind you, thank you for taking a brave and bold step to starting something that you will only watch grow and expand. 

-Adam

Thank you to the ladies that made this picture possible - A Scoutmaster is Sleepy.

Again thank you for taking the time to read and hopefully enjoy this post. If you would like more of these, click the follow button on the blog. Again, I am amazed how many eyes are set upon this every week.  I know professionals would see this as a small number, but to me 1000 views is amazing. Also, I am from New Birth of Freedom, Troop 1019, Linglestown. We love to leave Council and try new experiences. If you ever in the area, or would like to try to meet up as a Troop, feel free to reach out. Expanding the world is part of our goals, and without dedicated Scouters, like yourselves, it wouldn't be possible. Thank you again! 

A Special Group of Girls, and Leaders

 

The 2019 opening of Girls in BSA created a special group of girls. I have thought about this many times. These ladies are doing something amazing, with every merit badge, every rank advancement, and every adventure they take. Sometimes the road is fun and easy.  Sometimes the is met with external challenges. The same is true for leaders. There is oftentimes that when you are doing something, you are the first in your area, state, or country. That is pretty amazing. Getting your messaging, and what you are doing out to your area is important. My daughter at 9 years old taught me that. 

I came across the above picture, my wife made it after my daughter's first Scout camping trip. The New Birth of Freedom's bi-annual council event Wizzard Safari. During this event, the VIPs and staff were given poker chips with Baden Powel's picture on it. They had value in their color with black being the rarest and saved for only a select few. Scott Perry - 10th Congressional District, Pennsylvania, was one of those individuals. Abby had spent a day going to over 20 stations and doing all kinds of fun things. I was with her due to the requirements, I was beaten down and exhausted from our day. However, not wanting to ruin Abby getting her prize for getting over 20 stations, I hung in, long after the rest of the troop went back to camp. We were just awarded our non-weight bearing carabiners. The camp was on top of the hill, I was dreading the last climb of the day when I spotted the Congressmen.  I pointed it out in passing, but my kid wanted to meet him. I walked over and introduced myself, and my child. While introducing herself, my kid, even at 9 years old was aware that she was doing something new and was excited, to tell this person, who seemed important. 

Honestly, I was not sure how he would react. Scott Perry is a former Lt. Colonel and seems as conservative as you can get. Yes, I made assumptions. I assumed that he would answer like a politician. With a smile, and handshake. This turned out completely different than expected. As my daughter told her story about being the first girl from our small town, and how important this event was. She was the first girl from Pack 233 to ever attend. She was proud of herself. She shared her whole story, from the confusion and bit of struggle getting her den on board. To the fact she was pushed down on the playground the day before her first meeting and told: "Scouts are for boys" (That attitude took a 180-degree change over the 2 years she was with her boys, they were quite sad to learn she would have to leave them). She told her whole story.  Not once did he attempt to stop her, not once did he try to get away. Even as the line to meet him grew. He listened to her, with this attention that you could feel. 

When she was done talking to him, he asked her if she would like a picture to remember this. My phone was dead, as happens almost every campout. His assistant took pictures with his phone. Asked me for my phone number, and texted them to me to make sure I did not miss this moment. I thought that was a moment. However, it got even better. 

He looked at my daughter and said, "I was given a chip that I was to award when I saw something special, and I think what you are doing is beyond special". He reached in his pocket and presented my 9-year-old with a black poker chip. She still has it. She understood the moment even at that young age and saw her chance to share her Scouting story. 

I share this story because getting our Scout's message out is important. Many do not understand what girls are looking for, or doing, or the impact their participation will have. What sharing their Scouting story with others does, is validates feelings. Many of those that have a scouting background will acknowledge, and appreciate the hunger and desire to be the best person they can be. They will remember the excitement as a young person doing these activities.  They will be less closed off to the idea of any child due to gender being denied the opportunities that Scouts provide. Many have realized that Scouts is not being destroyed by all of these changes, but is enhanced that other children get these experiences regardless of gender. My daughter does not have a 2019 founders patch from her troop. She was not officially a member at charter. She was a Webelo 1 in a pack with a long history. A pack that existed when her dad was a kid (I did not Scout as a child). Countless Halloween parades, Pinewood Derbys, Blue and Gold Banquets, and Crossing Over ceremonies. However, she knows that she was the first girl from town to get her AOL award. She has her arrow and her shadowbox. Those experiences will be hers forever. She is still close with the group of boys from her old den. 

As she progresses, she is now an unofficial founder for her Troop, excited to be a Den Chief so she can show other girls what they can do. Growing, learning, and most of all enjoying the process. We are blessed to have a great Scoutmaster that loves these girls like their own. We are lucky to have Troop 10's boys and Scoutmasters that love sharing their love of Scouting with them. I can only hope that through sharing their Scouting stories with others, some of the misinformation can be dismissed, and some of the apprehension from some can be eliminated. I look forward to a day that Girls being in Scouts is not new. When scout sign-ups occur it is just as normal for a girl to be there with her wide-eyed excitement about one day carrying her pocket knife, as the 3rd-grade boy. For this to happen, this special group of girls need to Scout on, continue to be amazing, and blaze the path. 

Thank you for reading.  If you are enjoying the readings, please feel free to share a link https://bit.ly/BSAGirlsToo , and please like and subscribe. 

Toos Day - A Scout is Helpful - A Message from Ukraine

I am sure that you all know, but on February 24, 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I know that there is an active Scouting movement in Ukraine. I reached out to their organization to find out what we as Scouts could do, and what they wanted us as part of the Movement to know. It took a few days, but I got the following response.

Courtesy https://liveuamap.com/

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Scouting in the United States, greetings from the National Organizations of Scouts of Ukraine. We wish to thank Scouts of the USA for their support. We see the public meetings of thousand of people you take part in, we see your attempts to reach out to your government, politicians, all your connections in power in your country. 

This gives us hope and encouragement. Your messages and actions help us to keep people’s spirits high and hold on for a little longer. Scouts of NOSU carry out various important actions to support the citizens of Ukraine, both the civilian population and the territorial defense, also Armed forces of Ukraine, the Red Cross. Our members provide people in shelters with food, clothing, means of heating and support services. 

We do our best to save people’s lives and stop the war. We believe that together we can make a difference! NOSU asks you to raise awareness of our situation and impact those who do not want to end the war. 

There are many National Scout organizations from the whole of Europe and world, who have been supporting us since the first day of a full-scale war, and we are extremely grateful to all of you. Your support and concern means a lot! Every Ukrainian Scout feels now more than ever that they are part of a big world Scout family!“

Thank you, Adam.

Best regards, 

Olha.

Olha Dybkaliuk 

International Commissioner
National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine

Olha also asked me to share the following from the National Organization of Scouting Ukraine. 

Dear friends in Scouting and Guiding,

We at the National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine (NOSU) prepared this document to reply to so many messages of support that all of us receive literally every second. It is unfortunately not possible to reply to all of you with our own words, as the situation is unstable, we often are asked to move to shelters where there is no internet, some of us stay in shelters all the time.

First of all, we all are sincerely grateful for your concern. The support of the international community is crucial for the security of our people at this time. Thank you for your kind words and all the help you are willing to provide!

The National Board of NOSU is in touch to the best extent possible with all our Scout groups, our leaders, and young people. We are facilitating communication with neighboring countries Scouts, who are helping those Ukrainian Scout families, who decided to move abroad. 

Here is what you and your NSO can do to help us in this difficult situation:

1. With the help of WOSM, we launched a Scout Donation Platform campaign to raise funds for humanitarian help which will be needed as soon as the situation calms down. 

Here is the link to donate if you feel like it: https://bit.ly/scoutsukraine

Official WOSM communication can be found here: 

https://www.facebook.com/WOSM.OMMS/photos/a.10150253538916914/10158660391706914

2. Another option to send help directly to Ukraine is to donate to the Ukrainian Red Cross. Here is the official page for donations: 

https://donate.redcrossredcrescent.org/ua/donate/~my-donation?_cv=1&ns_ira_cr_arg=IyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMz1M9LG%2FD%2F3HOPsyNe7G4hi7MNiOcJZVcQbKQH4abHlwIfprXbhWe4hNVAr9YwTD7Y7djc7%2BaNom9Weak4QzSBlI2zC%2Bd0%2FZzrMQ0GyxuqCctMN3%2BlIj4Giciwt0Pv2X0%3D

You can also donate directly at their website using the button "Donate": https://redcross.org.ua/donate/?fbclid=IwAR0SDpzXLIy8jJ3l3jisdP8mJYz4LSeRucKGEddLvhUslrGFKvCQ4H59zTU

3. [NEW]  Kyiv School of Economics charity foundation started fundraising campaign for humanitarian aid and other needs of Territorial Defense Units of different Ukrainian cities, their goal is to raise 2.5 million USD. You can help at this link:  https://kse.ua/donation/   You can learn more here: https://kse.ua/

4. A non-financial thing you can do is to reach out to your government, politicians, all your connections in power in your country in any way possible to raise awareness of our situation and ask for stronger measures to be taken. We think that more sanctions need to be imposed by them to support Ukraine. 

5. We are in close contact with the NSO leadership in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania and they all are very helpful in terms of welcoming our Scouts in their countries. If you have any other suggestions of help and support, please feel free to send any useful information to NOSU's official email address: international@ukrscout.org

Finally, we might not be very quick in replying, but please be sure that every message and every email is read. We will come back to everyone in due course, we just prioritize answering strategic messages over answering messages with words of support. But all of them are equally important to us.

NOSU National Board is following the latest developments and stays alert for all our members. We stay strong and pray for the best. Please join us in our prayers too.

Thank you very much again! Your support and concern mean a lot! Every Ukrainian Scout feels now more than ever that they are part of a big world Scout family!

NOSU National Board

Today for Toos Day, I ask you to share these messages, and please keep these brothers and sisters in your thoughts and prayers. These young men and women did not ask for any of this. They did nothing to bring upon this suffering. If you can help with materials, or monetary help, do so, but a Scout is Helpful - and #4 is something that we can encourage our scouts to do.

May our fellow Scouts find peace soon, and only know peace moving forward.

YIS,

Adam

A Scout Is - How to Know You are "Successful"

Again, I cannot express my gratitude enough to all of the readers.  This hobby of mine has doubled in readership every week over the last 3 weeks.  Please support the blog and Troop 1019 by hitting the follow button and getting notified when I upload a new blog. I am sorry for the delay since my last posting. It has been a busy week! 

I have become active on a few groups at this time on social media, and I can tell you that it is amazing being part of groups that are so proud to be family Packs, Troops for girls, or supporters of both. I have found them to be a welcoming change from the negativity and sometimes awfulness some pages can be. The pages themselves are good, but the comments are more of my issue.  When I look down through, 

I get a sense that because girls are not always welcomed, they are held to a higher standard. 

I found myself then reflecting that back onto my own Scouts, and honestly, that is not fair. I found myself getting critical about minor uniform infractions, and really pushing hard to make sure that at district events we did not stand out as not being true scouts. The realization that I have made over the last few months is that Scouting is different depending on the Troop you belong to. I started reflecting on the Scout Law, and Oath. The saying is not "A Scoutmaster is..."  The law starts with "A Scout is..."  Also, on my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country."  Nowhere in there is the need to feel that we have to go above and beyond simply because we are a female Troop. 

As a youth lead organization, I am there to help guide leaders. To teach young people, what it means to lead, succeed, even fail, reassess, and try again. When looking at what we are doing, and to determine if we are being successful we need to not necessarily look at advancement or merit badges. There seems to be a push to get every one of our female scouts to Eagle, sometimes as quickly as possible. I understand that if you were old in 2019 and aging out is a real possibility, pushing younger scouts at a fast pace can be counterproductive. We need to remember to allow our female scouts to grow and develop as they are ready. We are there to guide them and assist them. The best way for our leaders to assist these scouts is to keep scouting fun. 

We have a framework - I have taken these directly from the BSA website. They are all important, and no one should be seen as more important, and none of these should be a barrier to the program. 

The methods by which the aims are achieved are listed below in random order to emphasize the equal importance of each.

Ideals – The ideals of Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout slogan. - Remember the Scouts are to look at themselves and compare only themself to the ideals.  We can teach the meanings, but the Scout must come to understand where they stand. 

Patrols – This is a basic block, it teaches leadership, and democratic principles. Since Scouts only allowed girls for 3 years now, we must also understand that some Troops may only just now finally have older scouts that are ready to begin this process. We must realize that they may need a little extra guidance. It is okay if the adult leaders have a bit of a stronger hand right now. As the adults may still be operating as the model to teach our younger scouts. As soon as possible, transition to youth-led troops should be accomplished, but to do so at the cost of ensuring quality programming should be considered. Much like any goal, there are steps. Ensure you are working towards the goal, and if you need to take it in steps that is okay.  You may show up at a council event and not be the model at this time, and that is okay, and not a point of shame.  Don't project your desire for appearance to interfere with the process.

Outdoor Programs – Scouting is designed to take place outdoors. I know this is not a general truth, but the biggest draw for my own child was the difference in what GSA and BSA were doing. Outdoor programs are vital to differentiate ourselves. Also, remember that outdoor programs does not mean we have to do an episode of "Survivor Man" every time we go out. We can teach scouts to enjoy the outdoors in a comfortable manner, and also have some more challenging events. Again, we are making leaders using the outdoors, we do not have to make the next Survivor Man. 

Advancement – Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. I cannot stress the importance enough to let the scouts learn the importance and feel the pride in advancement. Holding female youth to the standards is important, its how they grow, and they will begin to feel the pride of their work. 

Association with Adults – Scouts learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. I cannot stress this one enough. Too many times I have had to be part of uncomfortable conversations with other adults. The girls are looking to you. I will vigorously defend our right to be here. I choose to be the ASM, because I find it important for the girls to see a strong woman leading, and how a man can gladly support that. 

Personal Growth – As Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. As our scouts' progress, they grow. They are met with challenges and setbacks, and they learn. 

Leadership Development – The Scouting program encourages Scouts to learn and practice leadership skills. Every Scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations. Shared success and failure are key to growth. 

Uniform – The uniform makes the  Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. I have seen a lot of arguments over the uniform. I think that this is not a defined issue, and is an issue of leadership in the Troop.  I think that when scouts are in the community they need their uniforms, this identifies who we are. The uniform is an opportunity to teach the scouts about appropriate dress, and how to dress for the occasion. We as adult leaders need to guide SPL's on how to convey this message. Many of us work in an environment that has a dress code, or expectation, but there are reasons to dress down, there are reasons to dress up. We can teach our scouts about this through the use of the uniform.  With that being said, the uniform should not be a barrier to Scouting. 

I stress the uniform as being a barrier because it is not a cheap investment. Shirt and Pants - $80 - before patches.  With all needed patches and items, a scout uniform is easily $125+, and if you are a parent wanting to volunteer double that. I will never forget the sticker shock when I became an ASM and my daughter crossed over. Within our first month of scouting, between registrations, summer camp, 2 camping trips, and uniforms, BSA was a $1000 investment. So if you are starting a new troop, you may consider how to slowly build up your uniform, a fundraiser for the girls to work to earn the money, time for parents to slowly amass the pieces, a chance to find donations. Being "uniform" is important, but the uniform should not be a barrier. 

We are successful as leaders when a Scout walks out of the weekly meeting, a better, more productive person than when they walked in. Eagle is not the only measure of success. I wanted to share something I came across this week from my Woodbadge counselor, 

This person did not need to earn Eagle to make a difference in the world with the confidence, and skills they were taught by a committed leader. 

“There is no teaching to compare with example.” - Baden Powell

We are the example.  

Toos Day: A Scouting Mindset 2/22/22!

 

A Scouting Mindset

When we are working with our scouts, the use of mindset is an important factor for both girls and boys. Today Troops 10 and 1019 did something amazing with our kids. We hiked around frozen waterfalls! For the sake of the crowd, we used a professional guide service.  If you are in Pennsylvania, I highly recommend Valley to Summit. Our guide is actually an active Scouter himself. Chad is involved with the national level COPE and Climbing programming. Was it the cheapest activity, no, was it worth every penny, yes!  When we are doing outdoor activities sometimes it gives us time to think about things, unwind, connect with nature, and reflect on where we are. Today was one of those days. First, I got to see our girls do something they might have never done, and may never do again. This experience is theirs, forever, it can never be taken from them. These things we give are gifts with no expiration date, and no return policy. These experiences will shape our youth in ways we may never know. This is why I think that mindset is something that needs to be addressed. 

If anyone has looked at my pictures, I am a 42-year-old, overweight male Scout Leader. 4 years ago I contracted a disease that gave me a 33% chance of never walking again, and about 60% chance of never making a full recovery. I am fortunate, that I have made around a 95% recovery and can share this new life with my daughter. I got emotional last fall when I completed a 10-mile hike with our troop.  It was the first long hike I attempted since my hospitalization. 

A little background on my condition. I was diagnosed with Acute Idiopathic Transverse Myelitis (TM). TM is not a common condition, but one day at work, I was not feeling well, and my legs began to feel heavy, almost as if I had done a workout and overdid it. The symptoms continued throughout the day, until around 6:30 PM I was taken to the emergency room due to weakness. I took my last steps for 3 days when I walked to the hospital registration desk. TM is an autoimmune response from the body that attacks the myelin (the lipid structure that surrounds your nerves) and causes inflammation and damage. My damage is located between T12 and L1. It took the lower half of my body away. I was in the hospital for five days, with countless tests. If it were not for the care of the hospital staff, and their drive to find an answer, I may have had a very different outcome. Everyone has a story, I know that, I just wanted to share mine. 

Back to mindset, as I digress. I came to Scouting with my second daughter. The time with her older sibling was sports. Wins/Losses, scores, records, competition. There is nothing wrong with this, in fact, I love sports. However, the background of coaching inadequately prepared me for Scouts BSA. I did not understand a setting where if you engage, you win, if you try, you win. I am not saying you master it and become the best, but you gain. You always get a plus in the growth column.  You fail, you grow, you succeed, you grow. This is quite a different mindset for me because there was no bad vs. good level. It was growth.  Honestly, it made me rethink some of my attitudes towards coaching youth sports.  It was growth for me. I also had to take a look at how I approached activities. Early in my leadership roles, I realized that my attitude, approach, and mindset would have more impact on my results with Scouts than my competencies, my knowledge of the aims and methods, and my understanding of what I was getting myself into. 

In the last 6 months, I had to face my own mindset issues. The first was in October. The Troop chooses to take on the Billy Yank Hike at Gettysburg National Battlefield.  This is a requirement for their historic trails badge. To be honest I was personally apprehensive. As I discussed before, I am still having fatigue issues with my lower body. I was not sure I could complete this myself. How could I approach this with a positive mental attitude? Then it dawned on me; others are counting on me. I had an honest conversation with our Scoutmaster and the Troop. I realized that sometimes as the leader the challenge is also for us. When we completed our hike, we celebrated the accomplishment. We celebrated with each other, not just us celebrating them.  We are in this together. 

Today we did a five-mile hike, on ice, around Ricketts Glenn's amazing waterfalls. We hiked 18 of them in total today. I was nervous I would hold the team back. I was excited, I was getting outside. I was happy to be with such amazing leaders. Nobody won an award today, there was no score. However, each time I saw a leader encourage a scout to push further on when the scout thought they had no more to give, or each time I heard laughing, I realized that there is more to life than keeping score. When your children are learning to work together to accomplish hard tasks together. Adults are coming together to guide youth leaders, and enjoy each other's company. Teaching young men, and young women how to work together, while independent Troops, when they come together they are there to accomplish a goal. Teaching youth to work together is really preparing them for the world beyond youth. Learning how to respect and rely on each other. They will reflect the mindset of the leaders. Due to the amazing support of our partner Troop and the mindset of their leadership, our girls have never been treated as second best. Because of the mindset of our girl leaders, our kids know they belong. When the mindset is growth, the outcomes are limitless. When we celebrate each Scout's contribution, and not "who dominated" we teach growth. 

Today our kids learned that when things get tough they can rely on their own mindset to improve their situation. Our Scouts were challenged today. Some were beyond their comfort zone. They had leaders that wanted to help them in their challenge. They had the right mindset. I watched a 15-year-old take control of a group of 17 kids, and this is not the most assertive kid I know, but he took on the role of leader. I watched kids take on a challenge with a positive outlook.  They rocked it. 

 

The leaders that make this possible come from a "With" attitude. They are there to be with the kids. They are there to be part of the activity.  They come from a point of wanting to participate and enjoy the moment. Attitude is infectious. A negative attitude can derail even the best experiences. That is why leaders need to show up and be excited to engage. Leadership is an active mindset. You have so much influence over the kids, and how they respond. Realizing that challenge does not come with winning or losing. Realizing that growth is the goal, and domination is not, can make you a better leader. We should not be ranking our Scouts on who is the best. We should be recognizing growth, challenge, and accomplishment. This is how our mindset can improve the lives of all the children we touch. 

Troop 10/1019 at the bottom of 90' waterfall. 

Let's Talk Advancement - Keeping the fun, moving forward, and making it count.

First, let me say that I am overwhelmed by the response I have had to this blog. I assumed that through writing this, I was simply making my cathartic journal public. I did not expect the number of eyes that have actually taken the time to read my writing. I am not a writer by trade or profession. I am a school teacher, that simply loves Scouting with my daughter. A father that is proud of his daughter's fearless drive to do something that was never done before in our town. I am so proud of her and her drive. I have noticed changes in her that I did not expect. If anyone here is currently raising a child between 11-17 years old, you all know that sometimes our own Scout struggles with being obedient, and clean, but she's trying harder. I will say I have seen her become more friendly, courteous, kind, cheerful, and certainly, brave. 

If you have not already done so, please click the "Follow" button. 

These writings will always and forever be dedicated to Abby, Troop 1019, and all the young women blazing a new chapter. 

Let's Talk Advancement

I was a participant in Woodbadge Class N6-544-21. I was tasked with writing "tickets" as part of my training. These "Tickets" are essentially what goals do you have for yourself, your troop, and the greater Scouting community.  How will you improve, recruitment, retention, diversity, and access? What will you do?  What change can you effect in 18 months?  One of my goals was to create a social media page where people could get real information from someone that is doing it. A place where we can develop a community of support for each other, and exchange ideas. After I started doing research, I found this has already been thought of. I have found a wonderful active page on Facebook Scout BSA Girl Units, but to complete my goal, I created a more local page Scouts BSA Girls Units - Central PA, but I decided that this was not enough, made this blog. You can find me on Facebook on either of those pages.  

Now back to why I am writing today. 

When people talk about Scouting, the one thing they focus on is the Eagle Scout.  People often mention that some of the most successful people in their career fields were Eagle Scouts. When you look at a simple list of names, these are some pretty impressive people: Neil Armstrong, Justice Breyer, Bill Gates, James Lovell, Mike Rowe, Steven Spielberg,  Ernest Green, Hank Aaron, Martin Luther King, Jr., Colin Powell. These great names, all males, for now, are some of the greatest members of our society. They are part of the 8% of Scouts that attain the rank of Eagle. Yes 8%, they are important, but what about the other 92%. 8 out of 100 will attain the rank of Eagle, but we just don't teach our skills, crafts, and values to those select few. Every child that joins scouts is an opportunity to improve their life. Through the aims and methods of Scouting, each child is learning skills that even if they do not realize at the moment, will help them in the future. 

This brings us to using what is already given to help our Scouts grow. Advancement. Working with your senior patrol leaders, and looking at the requirements for advancement. Outside of merit badges, this is one area that will afford scouts a chance to work on their leadership and teaching skills. This is the way they can demonstrate the EDGE method, and really take ownership of the operations of the Troop. Showing the leaders that advancement skills and merit badges are connected. That many of the skills that you need to advance can be done by working on merit badges. Working on these badges as a group or as partners is a way to increase enjoyment. 

If you look at the path to First Class and the Eagle Required badges, you can find the cross-over. 

BSA Rank Requirements

BSA Required Eagle Badges

o First Aid

o Citizenship in the Community 

o Citizenship in the Nation 

o Citizenship in the World o Communication o Cooking 

o Personal Fitness 

o Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving 

o Environmental Science or Sustainability 

o Personal Management 

o Swimming or Hiking or Cycling 

o Camping 

o Family Life

If you look at First Aid, you can use the merit badge to complete -Tenderfoot - Requirement-4, Second Class - Requirement 6, First Class - Requirement 7.  The reason I mention this is working on a merit badge often entails more real-world practical exercise and will result in longer retention of this skill.I bring this back to the 92% of Scouts that do not make Eagle. I think that learning basic first aid skills is something that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.  These skills can be worked in a group and be made enjoyable.  Add a little makeup for a bruise, or some fake blood and gash from Party City, and you have yourself a pretty enjoyable and real experience. Take the time to add the enjoyment, and even some of the not as fun badges can get done. 

In our Troop, we rotate our offerings of merit badges. We are small so we can do this with some flexibility for now. We did Space Exploration in November/December. This was a great time. Building rockets, doing a little bookwork, launching rockets. That was great fun. In January we started communication with them. This one is not always the Troop favorite, as there is a larger portion of the population more afraid of public speaking, than death. Yes, that is a true statistic. Letting the kids follow their interests helps keep them interested. By the end of this summer, all of our April 2021 AOL scouts will be First Class. They just kept moving forward because they were motivated, but also because we made them work enjoyable, and they are progressing together as a group. 

I would highly recommend if your Scout is able to pass the swim test, they should complete the swimming merit badge at summer camp. Camping is done in the Troop. As you can see that what works is that the Scouts work as a unit, teach each other, learn from each other, and enjoy the experience.

If you are beating the national average of 8%, keeping them moving forward as a group is essential. Also when others see your Troop is having fun, it makes others want to check it out. Celebrate success, recognize progress, be there when it gets hard, encourage, and strengthen. Even if 90% of the kids that you are working with do not reach Eagle, they are still learning the vital skills needed. They are going to be able to handle adversity, and may get exposed to a future career field they will excel in, and be one of the 92% of extraordinary people in their field that are not Eagle Scouts. 

2021- Summer Camp - Finger Carving Merit Badge Recipient