This page is not here to simply browbeat the National Office. The people in the Exploring Division Office in Irving are great (Bill Evans was a lot of fun when I went to Philmont). My real purpose here is to list some things we can let them know. The thing is, we have to write letters. We have to give these people something to work with. They cannot simply walk into National Committees and say they think something would be a good idea. It's easier for them to walk in with a file full of letters supporting a particular idea. They need some evidence that a given idea will indeed "play in Peoria" to get it implemented. EOA, Council Exploring Committee, and Council Executive board resolutions can be great influences on the process, as well as letters from individuals. Remember getting the green shirts back? It works. We can do it again.
They call it a magazine, but it's a pamphlet. The usual issue is what, 8 pages? You can't expect a lot of depth in a publication that thin, and I get meatier stories in my Elks Lodge newsletter. With a program this dynamic, I expect a lot better from the people who publish Boys Life and Scouting.
I think these awards are great, and I'm not complaining about them, per se. I think we underplay them a lot. These awards should have a knot (or two - youth and adult). Maybe it's the way I think about them. I consider the ELA's to be the equivalent of the District Award of Merit for those who receive them, in the same way I consider the Spurgeon Award to be roughly equal to the Silver Beaver limited to Exploring.
If you agree, put it in writing and send it to the National Insignia and Uniform Committee, S310, National Office, BSA at the Irving, Texas address and express your concern.
Did you ever notice that there is no position patch for Service Team Chairman? There is also no decent looking way to indicate by badge of office who EOA Officers are. I'd love to see the creation of an EOA Chair position patch, but I'm sure the same fuddy-duddys who whined about the Lodge Chief patch will make sure that never comes to pass.
I wonder if someone from the National Insignia and Uniform Committee is reading this and getting a migraine yet ;)
Anyway, what ever happened to the seperate cuff insignia for Commodore and Committee? They had either an oval or a diamond around the anchor insignia. I don't see why the members of the Ship Committee should be indistinguishible from the Ship's Mates. The same goes for the Council Committee and Commodore. You can't tell who's who at a glance, and you should be able to.
Here is something that is probably just going to take time. The entire organization of the BSA needs to be flattened out. The communication chain that currently exists needs to be shortened by a few links. I'd like to see Exploring Magazine publish something every time literature and/or supplies are updated or introduced. And I'd like it as soon as possible.
Under the current system, National releases something, they tell the regions, the region tells the Council Exec, the Council Exec tells the Explroing Exec, the Exploring Exec tells the volunteers. There are just too many places for this chain to break down. Delays, or complete failures, in getting information to the volunteers is really detrimental to the program. That's going to lead me into the next rant...
I know we have Regional Exploring Conferences (sometimes I just know too late - see above). Some of us are lucky and have additional gatherings on the Area level. I don't even know if I have an Area Exploring Committee to work on this kind of thing. Maybe this is a problem specific to Area 2 of the Northeast Region, but somehow I don't think so. Logically, if EOA's a good in that they provide opportunites for Exploring Leaders to share ideas, experiences, etc. then Section, Area, and/or Regional meeting can only do the same. Maybe I just got too familiar with the way it's done for the Order of the Arrow (Section Conclaves and Councils of Chiefs, Regional NLS, etc.)
If you have additional things to add to this page, let me know! I'll add them up here, or link to a similar page you may have. Wite to me at jim@njaccess.com and I'll get your own rants up here. I'm sure I'll be adding more of my own over time as well.
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