Information, Observation, and Inspiration for Scouters
A few months ago, we wrote about the special extension of time to complete Eagle Scout, Summit Award and Quartermaster Award requirements beyond the age of eighteen due to circumstances related to the pandemic and the closures and program shutdowns that occurred in 2020.
Now that the year is ending and those temporary extensions are expiring, we’re being provided with new guidance on Eagle extensions and how to request one. Continue reading “Pandemic-related Eagle extension changes”
Update, October 1, 2021: The badge will be known as CItizenship in Society. Release date is expected sometime in November. Requirements are still being formulated. It is expected that counselors will be required to complete the BSA’s Diversity training.Â
Update, January 7, 2021: The BSA has announced a delay in the implementation of the DEI merit badge. Here is the official announcement from BSA Program Updates:
The introduction of the proposed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion merit badge is being delayed to allow for the careful consideration and evaluation of feedback received from a wide variety of commenters on the draft requirements. Until further notice, all Scouts working on the Eagle Scout rank should continue to use current rank requirements. Once the Eagle-required Diversity, Equity and Inclusion merit badge is introduced, Scouts in the process of earning the rank of Eagle Scout will be given adequate time to earn it.
Updates regarding the merit badge will be shared with councils directly and via Scoutingwire. Specific questions are welcome via email at Officeof.ChiefDiversityOfficer@scouting.org.
You may have heard that the Boy Scouts of America are planning to update their portfolio of ScoutsBSA merit badges to include a new one on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
With the renewed attention being paid to the plight of minorities in America and around the world, brought to the forefront by the myriad cases of violence and brutality against people of color and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s only natural that the premier organization devoted to the furtherance of ethics among our youth should incorporate an element of tolerance and understanding toward others.
In June, the BSA announced its commitment to combat racial injustice. Continue reading “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion merit badge”
“On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country…”
These words resonate at the beginning of every meeting of our packs and dens, troops and crews. We sometimes rattle them off without thinking about what they mean.
Our country is at a crossroads and is on the eve of what could be the most important election of our lifetimes. American government is not a spectator sport. The founders designed it so that periodically, regularly, we choose those who will serve the people, make our laws, and chart the course of our society. Continue reading “Duty to country”
The pandemic has affected life in so many ways, Scouting being just one of them. Units have had to scramble to continue providing program despite restrictions on group meetings – the very lifeblood of the Scouting experience – and trying to plan for the future in a world where the future could change with little advance notice.
Realizing this, the Boy Scouts of America have realigned one of the tools we use to evaluate how we are doing in providing the Scouting program to our youth. Journey to Excellence has been with us for a decade now, and although it was overhauled repeatedly early on, its measurements have remained relatively stable in recent years.
This year, however, is different, and many of the evaluation points became difficult to meet. Continue reading “Journey to Excellence modifications for 2020”
“Zoom fatigue” is a term that has crept into our lingo, given that so much of our collaborative work-from-home activity is done through online real-time video sharing tools like Zoom, Webex and GoToMeeting.
In our district, we’ve been holding our monthly Commissioner and Roundtable meetings via Zoom since March, and it has largely been successful in increasing participation. Our first online Roundtable attracted almost twice as many participants as a typical in-person meeting, which made us wonder why we didn’t think of it a long time ago. (Actually, we’ve thought about it for a long time, but the means and methods just weren’t convenient yet.)
You may have already held troop meetings and committee meetings on one of these remote platforms. Like in-person meetings, they are not free of issues. Continue reading “Making virtual meetings more successful”