eisely

I have pasted in below the email sent out by our council scout executive on this. It is pretty self explanatory and factually correct as far as I can tell. I understand that this made the Today Show this morning.

_____________________________

We want to let you know that one of our Scouts proactively notified his Troop leadership and Eagle Scout Counselor that he does not agree to Scoutings principle of Duty to God and does not meet Scoutings membership standard on sexual orientation. I want to assure you that the BSA did not proactively ask for this information, but based on his statements, and after discussion with his family he is being informed that he is no longer eligible for membership in Scouting.

As you know, the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members. Representing millions of youth and adult members in diverse communities across the nation, each with a variety of beliefs about this issue, BSA does not have an agenda on this matter, and its membership policy is not meant to be a blanket statement or a social commentary. We recognize there are many different opinions on this issue and that no single policy can accommodate everyone.

Also, a belief in God is the foundation of Scoutings strong, continuing commitment to encouraging moral, ethical, and spiritual growth. It is the position of the Boy Scouts of America that no one can reach their full potential without belief in a higher power. The ideals and principles of Duty to God and reverence set forth in the Scout Oath and Law are central to the mission of teaching young people to make better choices over their lifetimes.

We will continue to teach our members to treat those with different opinions with courtesy and respect at all times and to adamantly oppose the mistreatment of others based on any perceived difference. Please forward any media inquiries directly to my attention.

As Beavah pointed out there will be situations where a legitimate change in plans might not only be desirable but necessary. For example, changing a route half way through on a backpacking expedition because the planned route is not available for some reason, would be perfectly acceptable.

However, throwing in an additional higher risk activity without notice to parents and scouts is a poor call, even if everybody had a great time and no one got hurt. I too would not want my son going on an outing with an adult leader with a history of those kinds of changes to a plan for an outing.

Our council put out a blast email on this yesterday. I have pasted in the language below:

________________

Dear Scouting family,

This weekend, the LA Times ran a story concerning the Boy Scout confidential youth protection files, which are being released.

As you know, Youth Protection is of paramount importance to the Boy Scouts of America and we have established a multi-tiered approach focused on effective volunteer screening, education and training, and clear policies to protect youth. As part of this effort we have, and will continue to use, Ineligible Volunteer Files (IV Files) to screen and keep individuals whose actions are inconsistent with the standards of Scouting out of the program.

Last June, an Oregon court ordered the BSA IV Files that were submitted as evidence in trial should be released. The BSA has argued that the confidentiality of these reports helps us protect Scouts. We believe that victims and their families have the right to choose for themselves whether to share their stories publicly, and people are more likely to come forward to report real or perceived misconduct if they can do so confidentially. The Oregon State Supreme Court recently ordered that those files be made public in redacted form and these files are expected to receive significant media coverage.

The IV Files involved are 25-45 years old and the media is likely to focus its attention on that time period. Scouting's Youth Protection policies and procedures have evolved and been strengthened significantly since then. Today our programs are cited by leading experts in child welfare as examples to be emulated by other youth serving groups. That said, the best prevention requires constant vigilance and we will never waiver in our efforts to protect the youth entrusted to our care. As we often say in Scouting, "Youth Protection begins with you." That means each and every one of us shares in this important responsibility. You can learn additional details about our youth protection efforts by visiting www.bsayouthprotection.com

As you know, and as the website above describes in greater detail, Scouting has in place mandatory reporting policies concerning abuse. If you have a good-faith suspicion or belief that any child is or has been physically or sexually abused, we ask that you notify local authorities and me, as your local Scout Executive.

If you should receive any media inquiries on this subject, please forward them directly to PR@Scouting.org or 855-870-2178.

Thank you for all you do to help ensure Scouting is a safe place for all.

John C. Fenoglio

Scout Executive/CEO

Mt. Diablo Silverado Council

925-674-6150

I have pasted in another article from the LA Times that is quite informative about this threat. The article actually mentions an outbreak in 1993 that occurred on, if memory serves me correctly, the Navajo indian reservation. We were living in Southern California at the time and that was when we first learned of hanta virus. Apparently it is everywhere and the primary cause of transmission identified at that time was dust being kicked up around the areas where the Navajo lived. That could also happen at a camp site.

So those who live in the Southwest or are considering camping in areas where this disease is present should keep in mind to avoid kicking up unnecessary dust and following basic camp sanitation. Everyone should be fine. Article follows:

_________________________

By Kate Mather, Los Angeles Times

September 12, 2012, 6:00 p.m.

The population of mice that carry hantavirus may have swelled in Yosemite National Park, a possible lead in the ongoing investigation into an outbreak of infections that has killed three people since mid-June.

Recent trapping related to the investigation indicates that the park's deer mouse population is larger this year, said Dr. Vicki Kramer, head of the California Department of Public Health's vector-borne disease section. Deer mice are the primary carriers of hantavirus in the U.S.

Agency officials have twice laid peanut butter-laced traps for the rodents at the park, Kramer said. The first traps, set out between Aug. 21 and Aug. 23, were centered on Curry Village, where seven of the eight hantavirus cases have been traced to tent cabins.

About 50% of the Curry Village traps caught mice, and 13.7% of the rodents tested positive for antibodies of sin nombre virus, indicating that they either have, or have had, hantavirus. The statewide average is about 14%, Kramer said.

Trapping resumed last week, after additional cases of hantavirus were linked to Yosemite including one traced to the High Sierra Loop that links Yosemite Valley with Tuolumne Meadows and other areas. Traps were also laid in Tuolumne Meadows, where about 45% were successful, Kramer said.

That could indicate a larger mouse population, she said. In 2007, only 17% of traps in the area caught mice; in 2008, 25%. Antibody results for the second set of traps were not yet available.

Some experts have wondered if a population boom of deer mice contributed to the Yosemite outbreak. Scientists have attributed the 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region of the Southwest to an abundant deer mouse population that year.

"That could be a contributing factor," Kramer said of the Yosemite cases. "This seems to be supporting that hypothesis."

Officials have called the Yosemite outbreak unprecedented more than one hantavirus infection from the same location in the same year is rare. The disease is typically transmitted to humans as they inhale dust or dirt containing the droppings or urine of infected mice.

The mice collected from Yosemite were euthanized and stored in freezers in case experts need their blood or tissue for additional research, said Kramer, who added that fewer than 100 mice had been trapped.

"Our objective is not rodent reduction but risk assessment, by trying to get a general idea of mice abundance," Kramer said.

It could take months to complete the investigation into the Yosemite outbreak, which is being conducted by state and federal agencies, said Danielle Buttke, a veterinary epidemiologist with the National Park Service.

Officials are looking at other factors, among them the density of development in Curry Village, she said. The popular campground offers more food for mice, as well as protection natural predators are more likely to be scared off by such a large human presence.

Probably the best compliment in scouting I ever got was from a divorced mom. She had two daughters and a son who belonged to our troop in Southern California. The mom was an established professional in her field, and they all were doing well and there was no problem in the household that I saw or ever heard about. Nevertheless she commented one time that it was important for her son to be around men since he was growing up in an all female household. I took that as a compliment since I was one of the men she had selected as an influence for her son.

I would expect terms for the volunteers running the council at the top will vary by state among other things. Some states may have their own rules about non profit corporations that the state charters. More likely terms are governed by the corporations' own bylaws. BSA national probably has expectations about what will go into bylaws, but I would not expect standardization across councils.

After several months of debate our executive committee decided in August not to merge our council, Mount Diablo Silverado Council, with the San Francisco Bay Area Council.

An urban setting is not desirable for a functioning summer camp, but does have other advantages. Probably the most valuable piece of real estate our council owns is Camp Herms in El Cerrito overlooking San Francisco Bay. Camp Herms was developed for a summer camp in the 1930's. I understand that it was used as a summer camp into the 1960's. In the meantime el Cerrito grew up around the camp. It is a great location for Webelos activities including summer day camp. It is a great facility for training, complete with a lodge and a recently modernized and expanded kitchen. I hope it never enters anybody's mind to sell it.

Making things better instead of worse.

Cabin camping is clearly different from tent camping, or camping with no shelter at all. I don't think that the Order of the Arrow draws any distinction here in its eligibility requirement that at least six nights of camping be "long term" camping. I have always understood this to mean summer camp. Summer camps differ and some have cabins or some kind of fixed shelter. Those nights still count.

A third death has been reported.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/yosemite-hantavirus-third-death.html

There are two separate but related questions:

1. Is the congressional charter necessary for success?

2. Is the congressional charter helpful for success.

I think that most people would agree that the answer to the second question is yes. The answer to the first question is a qualified no.

If BSA were to lose its congressional charter, I don't think there would be too much difficulty in creating a successor corporation chartered at the state level. Presumably such an organization could pick up most of the identifiable valuable intellectual property in the process. However, would all the existing councils which are themselves separate non profit corporations choose to affiliate with the new national organization and continue to function as in the past? Hard to say.

Perhaps it is a reflection of the size of California, but I am not aware of any restrictions on transporting firewood. There are restrictions on burning wood from Oak trees as this does spread a fungus that attacks the trees. One source of commercial firewood that seems to be inexhaustible is from old orchards that are being replaced.

A new merit badge perhaps?

One of the themes promoted by the Democrats is that the Republicans are a party of racists dedicated to reversing policies promoting equality. The Democratic National Committee web site even went so far to declare, "For more than 200 years, our party has led the fight for civil rights..." Nothing could be further from the truth. Either the people who put that up are lying or stunningly ignorant of the history of their own party. Excerpted from a conservative web magazine is the following regarding the Democratic party, which:

Supported slavery in 6 platforms from 1840-1860.

Opposed the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution that successively wiped out slavery and gave both legal rights and voting rights to black Americans.

Supported segregation actively or by silence in 20 platforms from 1868-1948.

Opposed anti-lynching laws, specifically supported by the GOP in four platforms between 1912 and 1928.

Opposed the GOP-sponsored Civil Rights Acts of 1866, which focused on legal equality for blacks.

Opposed the GOP on giving voting rights to blacks in the District of Columbia in 1867. The legislation was passed over the Democrats' objection.

Nominated an 1868 presidential ticket of New York Governor Horatio Seymour and ex-Missouri Congressman Francis Blair. The Democrats pledged they would declare the Civil Rights laws passed by the GOP "null and void" and would refuse to enforce them. They lost to Ulysses Grant.

Opposed the Enforcement Acts, three laws passed by the GOP between 1870 and 1871 targeting the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and making it a federal crime to block the right of blacks to vote, hold office, serve on juries and have equal protection of the laws with whites.

Opposed the GOP Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited discrimination of blacks in public accommodations.

Used the Ku Klux Klan as what Columbia University historian Eric Foner calls "a military force serving the interests of the Democratic Party." Nor is there reference to University of North Carolina historian Allen Trelease's description of the Klan as the "terrorist arm of the Democratic Party." Nor is there mention of the infamous 1924 Democratic Convention -- the "Klanbake" as it is known to history because hundreds of the delegates were Klan members. The Klan-written platform mixed the traditional Democratic message of progressivism and racism in the Klan-written platform.

Repealed the Civil Rights laws enacted by GOP Congresses and presidents, already damaged by the Supreme Court. When Democrats gained control of both Congress and the White House in 1892, the Democrats' President Grover Cleveland signed the repeal on February 8, 1894.

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It is also worth noting that the civil rights act of 1964 would not have passed without bi partisan support of the republicans. A higher percentage of republican members of congress voted for this legislation than did democrats.

I agree that the CC and SM are doing the right thing in simply not signing the eagle application. It is good for the troop and its programs that this surfaced now. This young man will have a great deal of difficulty explaining his unwillingness to do even the minimum while there is still time.

The experience in our troop a few years back left a very bad taste in all the adults' mouths. Contrary to a promise to solicit the unit leaders' views, the council just acted and gave that scout his eagle without so much as a telephone call to either our SM or CC. I am glad that the new procedures specifically state that the units' views will be solicited. We shall see how this works out.

This virus has been around a long long time. It has gained national notice because of the situation at Yosemite. The best prevention for scouts when camping in an area where the virus is either confirmed or suspected is a clean camp site, particularly with regardsd to food preparation and waste disposal. One cannot exterminate all the rodents, but there is no point in creating an attractive nuisance for them.

The attorney general has finally done the right thing and announced that the DOJ will not be prosecuting intelligence agents. Now if DOJ would just be as zealous in pursuing the government sanctioned gun running pursued under this administration. See link:

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2012/August/12-ag-1067.html

I am inclined to agree with the other comments. Even if the SM refuses to sign the eagle application, an eagle BOR will likely approve the award, and if an eagle BOR does not, the council will. If the SM feels strongly enough that the youth was less than sincere throughout all the described course of dealing, perhaps the SM should simply not sign the application as the SM's form of personal protest. However, you would all do well to resign yourselves to the inevitability of this young man getting his eagle.

We had a somewhat similar situation in our troop a few years ago. The issues were different, but neither the SM nor the CC would sign the eagle application and council gave the young man his eagle anyway, without going to national.

I am somewhat apalled at the idea of youth leadership signing off on POR requirements. Having youth leaders sign off on T21 requirements is one thing, but the POR fulfillment should be up to the SM. In my mind it is part of what the SM does.(This message has been edited by eisely)

Married couples get divorced for all kinds of reasons. While over involvement in scouting may sometimes be a contributing factor, it is more likely a symptom of a deeper problem.

There have been many things over the years in scouting that I would have loved to do, but turned down specifically to keep some balance in my life.

I favor rotation of adult leadership, but on a five year schedule. Two years is way too short.

One of the unmentioned keys to this is the troop committee which should select the new SM. Unless change is really on the overall agenda, one of the selection criteria should be an emphasis on boy led, and not on the selectee's vision.

I thought the term applied to bureaucrats employed by the European Union in Brussels.

Forty hours per week does not sound right to me either. Several years back when we went from a manual paper system to troop master, there was a lot of work to set up the data and enter everything in initially for a large troop, but the effort has paid off in a more complete and transparent system. Weekly maintenance does not take any where near that amount of time.

A kind word about EZ Ups. While they are not very useful for camping, they are useful for training events such IOLS.

Patrol size dining flies are the way to go. One alternative that was mentioned was "Noah's tarps." I don't know where that term comes from, but they are also very useful. For the last two years we used them on canoe trips for shade, stringing them between trees. Some scout skills and ingenuity required for setup; but ultimately very useful, light weight, easy to pack, and greatly appreciated.

I have always been amused by "lifetime" warranties on anything. The question arises, "Whose lifetime are we talking about?" I have been told that lifetime refers to the expected life of the product. That could be two weeks or years.

Having said all that, I have never had a problem with a handbook, but then I haven't bought a new one in about three years when the current version was just released.

I would think that any publisher or manufacturer selling products for use by boys would be well advised to offer no warranty whatsoever.