JoeUzel

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  1. I apologize if my opinion is a bit long. Please read it all the way through before replying. I'm coming to understand the misgivings about donating resources to an organization that is viewed as corrupt. I don't believe that Scouting is any more corrupt the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though. I don't believe the Church is corrupt. Scouting, like the Church, is made up of people and people are imperfect. There are numerous third party reports (i.e. The New York Times) that state that the Church has the largest number of safety violations of any non-profit organization. These reports are coupled with the fact that the highest number of fatalities in Scouting are in LDS units. From the outside just a few years ago, I thought the Church was the most corrupt and arrogant bunch of idiots I had ever come across. I was wrong. The Church is not corrupt, nor is the Church so arrogant that its leaders walk out of meetings. I'm pretty sure our Prophet Thomas S. Monson didn't walk out of his meetings while serving in his Scouting position nationally. I know that my Stake President is the person who organizes meetings for Friends of Scouting (FOS) as he is the District FOS Chairperson. My opinion is that the Church and Scouting are both integral parts to the growth and development of all the young men within our ward boundaries, not just those young men in our ward. My opinion is that we (you and I) are the Scouting program. The guy who said we're still doing "quality unit" is living in last year. The quality unit award was cancelled after 2010 and replaced with a new program that focuses on individual unit progress, which helps out many small LDS units. The money I provide Scouting is coming directly back to my young men, because they participate. The institutional numbers help me, because I can know how much more missionary work I can do for young men within my ward boundaries. For example, the numbers the Scouting office generated showed units that gave more to FOS had more young men in their program. Our unit has just caught on to the idea that the program brings in more young men. We do the best we can with the portion of the young men's budget we can. We try and help all the young men in the council by participating in events and the Friends of Scouting program. Forgive the scouters of the council that made a bad choice by trying to buy a car for the executive. Move forward. We are the example for all other churches and all other Scouting unit in our ward boundaries. My question: What would you give to help bring a non-member young man to know Jesus Christ and come to Him? The Church does not exclude anyone, that is why I believe the Church continues backing Scouting. Should the Church start its own program, the Church would strip itself of a great missionary tool. Use Scouting, the great and powerful tool, to its fullest potential and seek to magnify your calling! Be the example by showing you and all LDS units are the example of Scouting done right! Remember that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. You have the option to voluntarily step down from your calling. For some reason, I don't think you're the type of person to back away from what God has called you to do. I believe you have been called for a very specific purpose, just as I have. Magnify your calling. Go back and attend Roundtable regularly until your name is a household name. Get to know your District and Council Executives until they know you by face. The sheep that follow are only as good as you, the shepherd. Yours in Scouting and in Christ, Joe Scoutmaster Troop 80 West Des Moines, IA
  2. I still feel new to the church and I'm still the Scoutmaster. I'm told this may be a lifetime calling :). I'm finding patience is the primary attribute needed for any leader in Scouting and in the Church. In the past year and nine months the troop has developed an active committee that's parent supported, sent nine leaders to adult leader training for Boy Scouts, sent one leader to adult leader training for Venture, and begun going to camporees again. Like missionary work, this troop has had to progress slowly without any grand miracles. The most beautiful thing is that there is an excitement around this troop I never saw before. I'm hopeful this excitement will pass on to the rest of these young men's lives. I guess if a person is waiting for conflict resolution like I was back in 2009, all they have to do is work at providing a quality program and let God do the rest of the work at softening people's hearts and opening their eyes to what the program provided; quality young men with character, who understand citizenship, and strive for personal growth. Understanding conflict resolution doesn't happen on my time, Joe
  3. "Oh bother", or just "bother" when it's something a person is unhappy with. It works for Winnie the Pooh. Good select children's book often have good alternatives to profanity. It took me nine month's before my first daughter was born to instill that habit in myself. Now my co-worker's know me as the guy who doesn't ever use profanity. Just a little latin by the way, "profane" comes from "pro + fano" meaning outside/in-front of the temple. In other words, the profane didn't go into houses of worship or temples.
  4. Ben, Thanks for the positive feedback. The challenge of creating and maintaining a high quality scout cub/troop/varisity/venture program is echoed hear in Iowa too. I'm starting to find that most conflicts at the Troop level can be solved through better communication on my part. I just started a monthly newsletter and website to help with that. When I talk about a different charter, I'm referring to pages 4 and 5 of "Scouting and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". Since the original charter in 1910 for the LDS Church, scouting in the church has had some differences from other BSA scout troops. (link: Boy Scouts of America LDS Relationships - Resources) (direct link: http://www.ldsbsa.org/pdf/resources/Scouting%20and%20the%20church-%20temp%20book.pdf) I too love the Scouting program and work hard to make it work and benefit the boys. Once parents, church leaders, and the scouts themselves learn I do what I do, because it's for their benefit, many conflicts dry up in a stupor. Joe Uzel "You only get to do things for the first time once" --Joe Uzel (1993)
  5. New to the church and already a Scoutmaster. With 27 years of Scouting experience, my Bishop was so eager to have me participate, he asked me if I would like to help out with the troop, even before I became a member I'm 100% behind the principles and values of Scouting and 100% behind the church. I'm somewhat disallusioned by the belittling of other people by members of the church and scouters here. I'm trying to understand how to rekindle the Fire of Christ through the Boy Scout Troop here in my ward through the program the council provides and through the Duty to God program. I'm certain that through understanding the core values of both programs, I can resolve the conflicts that reside in my ward. If anyone has any ideas to help me resolve conflicts surrounding "traditional scouting" and "scouting in the church", please let me know. I wasn't aware anyone thought there were two different types of scouting until our former scoutmaster mentioned it. I knew the Church had a different charter than non-LDS scout troops. I thought having our own specially tailored charter was the Church's strong point. Looking for conflict resolution, Yours in Christ, Joe