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Scouts may be thrifty, but some leaders are well paid
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Masters in Counseling
Special Education Credential
33 years in education
60 hour weeks plus 40-50 night events to supervise during school year.
Moore earns more than twice what it took me to get after all the education and years of working.
To tell me that you can't get someone as competent as Paul Moore for half the price. Especially when policies are basically laid in stone and the volunteers in the trenches do 90% of the work.
Something is wrong here. It will be interesting to see how much money is collected now for SME. What timing this article is!
The Aaronic Priesthood activity program is operated through the mutual and is based on region and cultural of the region or country. Scouting is not world-wide.
Scouts who are not interested or are forced by parents who are not involved and often led by men who are not inspired to be part of this program.
Saw scouting florish as a youth, then stake pulled our leaders to work in stake. New men called and program went down the tube. They weren't interested in doing what we did to get eagle scouts.
I don't know if the reaction to this article is so much about Mr. Moore and the other leaders' salaries as it is about so many people seeing that there is something that has vitally changed in society and scouts has not changed too.I haven't been involved in it long enough to understand what it is about scouts that is so difficult for so many people.
Keep it up Mr. Moore! But you may be overseeing some sort of major shift in the scouting program in Utah!
Scouting is expensive, but what is the value of a boy? Just look at the number of YM that this program affects. Take a look at your testimonies for you LDS members. We have been repeatedly counseled to support Friends of Scouting and I intend to continue to support this worthy organization as long as I am asked to do so.
We do teach interviewing. Every advancement is accompanied by a Board of Review which is an interview.
Sheepshanks and half-hitches are more important than Excel spreadsheets. When you're tying a tarp ontop of your pick-up, which will do you more good? The knots or Excel?
Sure that one fellow is paid alot but it is a large council. Small councils pay less. Professional Scouters work their tails off and the compensation is low until you reach the upper ranks.
Let's base professional scouters salaries on the increase in eagle scouts 10-20% or higher. If he increased the number of young men receiving tenderfoot, star, life, and eagle significantly then we should be discussing pay raises, not time away from families: truck drivers do that and don't get compensated equally.
Scouting faired far better when the adults who worked with the kids could also earn those same merit badges, but when they decided they couldn't it started on a downward spiral. If someone can work side by side with their son or neighbor they are far more interested in doing the work and show far more enthusiasm.
I still believe in scouting and I do agree knot tieing is valuable, I still use it regularly, and so does fire building, etc. Let's set some sensible paramenters and go from there.
It is easy to get hung up on executive compensation and imagine that we could do as well for less. I have often wondered why the CEO of my company should be paid $12,600,000 (yes, that's 12.6 million dollars!).
However, most of the complaints above are about bad experiences, not the compensation itself. My own experience as a 2nd Class Scout was less than satisfactory. But I wouldn't trade my experience with adults and young men as a Scouter for the world. I appreciate the influence of dedicated Scout leaders on my Eagle Scout sons and many other young men I have known over the years.
Scouting is not dead, irrelevant or ineffective. Its values are timeless, and those professional Scouters and volunteers who dedicate themselves to passing those values to young men are true heroes!
Let's not abandon this great organization! I will donate to Friends of Scouting as long as I have a dime to my name.
I worked in the non-profit sector for most of my career at several different organizations, one of which was the Boys and Girls Clubs. I know there were clubs outside of Utah that had high-paid administrations, but not here. I felt BGC's impact on kids was much higher than BSA, and for less money. BGC deals with their kids up to six days a week. They help them with their homework, teach computers, constructive activities, etc. They provide this for less money, helping keep kids off the streets after school while their parents are working.
I stopped contributing to FOS because I could get more bang for my buck elsewhere. And yes, I'm active LDS and wish the church would make it's own program.
I NEVER made that much working in nonprofits. Probably not many in Utah. I'm sure Moore works hard, but I think our money is better spent elsewhere. FOS should not be done through the church. Inspiration will provide a better program.
It is self-evident that the Church should sever its relationship with the BSA. In my opinion Duty to God is a MUCH better program and I would be happy to donate my resources (time and money) to a Church-run program because it would be well run in addition to being inspired.
The BSA will not be receiving any more money from our family.
I'm an eagle scout and when the times comes for Friends of Scouting. I will be declining this time until I hear further if anything has been done.
A high paid scouting position isn't "service" in scouting, it's "money".
What the Great Salt Lake Council dude said about touting stuff like Jamborees is a farce. I've never been to one because you have to PAY to go to them. My ward PAYS for scout camp. Heck, the scouts have to PAY and WORK themselves to go. It costs hundreds of dollars to send the scouts to camps, but we learn WAY MORE at Youth Conferences and church activities. (We have a better time too.)
Frankly, we youth love the church originated programs, and we find the Scouting Programs pretty darn boring, expensive, and time-consuming. We're practically glad to not go to scout camp, sadly enough. The camp directors don't know squat and they're mean.
Enough said. Please, respond to this adults and fellow scouters. Let me know if I and my friends are alone or if others feel the same way.
You've got to be kidding.
I don't interpret any counsel I've received from my church leaders as a directive to take the funds I'd use to feed, clothe, and shelter my family and instead devote them to the enrichment of a couple of BSA executives. And I'd seriously question any church that DID give that counsel.
The BSA teaches values that are useful and, in my view, very relevant today. It may well be that Mr. Moore accepted his position with the BSA, and generally carries out his duties, with the purest of motives. He can demonstrate that by refunding half of his salary to the Red Cross, LDS Humanitarian Services or another bona fide charity.
The LDS church is probably reluctant to move away from the BSA program because it still works to some degree and church money is, most likely, keeping BSA from going under.
It might be time for the LDS church to run its own less bureaucratic and more effective program in the U.S..
The head of BSA is getting near $1,000,000 a year
The head of the United Way --- $375,000
The head of the Red Cross -- $500,000.
Both those organizations are far larger and have far greater revenues than BSA (Red Cross alone raised $5.5 billion last year. BSA was only $179 million).
Many years earlier a younger brother, not athletic at all, and totally disinterested in doing outdoor activities, gradually was left out of YM (i.e. Scouting!) and became inactive, and still is today.
Working in Young Women for years outside of Utah,I have participated in the Personal Progress program with them, helped plan and raise money for the EXCELLENT yearly camp. It works!
Our Church can support scouting, but it should not be the ONLY program offered for young men.
I've seen my husband leave for school at 7:00 am and return at 12:00 midnight MANY days over a period of 30 years as he took care of his duties as teacher and/or principal of a high school. I saw him agonize over problems with teachers, coaches, parents, students, athletes, , etc. I saw him lose countless hours of sleep over worry when a kid brought a gun to school, lawsuits threatened and filed over various issues, having to fire teachers who didn't perform up to expectations...Calls day and night from angry parents over teachers, coaches, other students, you name it. Calls from parents in the middle of the night on a weekend who couldn't find their child (I'm really not sure why HE was supposed to know where they were on a Saturday night). I could go on forever. The TOP salary my husband brought home was $73,000. I won't complain about his salary. He LOVES education and we haven't wanted for anything in life but I have no tears to shed with Mr. Moore.
What does this all have to do with teaching the boys values and a love of the outdoors?
I understand that that these people work full time. The fact that they might be able to earn more at a for- profit company doesn't mean they should be paid as much as an executive at a for-profit company.
They ask everyone else to sacrifice for scouting. They should lead by example. They should earn a living wage, not an executive wage.
I am from Canada, living in Tooele. Every year my Dad was asked to spend $50 per boy. I think of his sacrifice and wonder if any one who has complained would sacrifice as he did to send 4 boys through the program. That is $200 a year.
Yes, You are paying their salaries. IT is a SACRIFICE. It takes professionals to run the program. They spend 60+ hours a week. I know some professionals who have callings in Bishoprics and Stake Presidencies. Those who are scouting professionals are required to donate each year.
Those who have complained, if you get your wish, and you squash Scouting will find that the world will be a quagmire of your own creation. I for one will stand where the LDS church leaders asked me to stand and will support Scouting and Friends of Scouting each year.
I do not think that the Church should REQUIRE a ward to donate a certain amount to FOS, and particularly put that burden on the Bishop, who is already putting in many many hours of service, and being away from his family. He already attends all the ward activities, usually goes to camp and other outings with the young men - and in our ward with the Young Women too!
It sounds like in Utah there is a lot of pressure put on the local wards to meet a high FOS goal. Isn't it supposed to be purely voluntary?
The ward members are already donating to the local pack, and being supportive of fund-raisers for both the Young Men and Young Women camps and other activities. In addition to tithing, fast offering, humanitarian donations, etc., we also provide money, food, materials, supplies, labor etc. for all ward activities, because the budget cannot cover everything.
The LDS church needs to look at a more inclusive young men program. Still offer support and meeting facilities etc., but not the only thing offered and backed by the Church.
Donate to FOS, the scouts need it, even if Paul doesn't deserve it.
Families struggling to make ends meet on less than 50,000/year give generously to the Scouting program even though they have no sons or daughters in scouting.
And this is how the money is used?
I am appalled and will never support the FOS drive again.
To all who claim that the quitting scouts will bring upon us a host of social ills; have you considered what YM/YW could do if funded, staffed, and supported like scouts.
Where the money goes 3% to Paul. 97% to:
Programs and Services
Maintanence and improvements for 18 camps at 7 facilities
Special programs and activities: Scout-O-Rama, Jamborees, and much more
Professional Scouters to support units, districts and the council
Training for volunteers: Fast Start, Basic and Wood Badge
Training for youth leaders: Silver Moccasin, On-Belay, etc.
Support to chartered organizations
Monthly roundtables and program ideas
Community Service: Scouting for Food, Youth Protection Training, and Drug Awareness
Provide camper insurance at council and district sponsored events
Community Relations
Provide blanket coverage of liability to protect leaders and organizations
Council Shops: Places where leaders can secure Scouting supplies and resource materials
Administrative support for Camporees, Klondike Derbys, and Cuborees
Office Services
National Fees
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