Andy McCommish

As of this month I've now heard from folks in 277 councils -- That's more than 90% of all councils in the BSA! I continue to be astounded by this. Here's the really scary part... It means that, at home, some folks either don't have anyone to turn to, or their home resources are non-responsive or perhaps questionable. Commissioners: GET OUT THERE! Folks need you, perhaps more than ever before. We're still dealing with myths and legends and some misguided leaders and confusion about what BSA policies really mean, but the biggest problem we see here is internal discord amongst the adult volunteers in units. This discord can be the one thing that damages the Scouting experience of the youth we're supposed to be serving perhaps more than anything else. It can rain or snow, we can get hit by tornadoes and blizzards and hurricanes and earthquakes and fires, and odds are we'll survive. But when a bunch of otherwise well-meaning adults start squabbling among themselves about who's got the power and who better knuckle under, that unit's doomed! Refocus, folks! We're here for the youth we serve; it's not the other way around! Andy