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DEC Launches "Conservationist for Kids" New York State has launched a new nature magazine for kids, filled with photos, articles and tips on activities designed to encourage children to reconnect with the outdoors and the natural world. Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis said, "In a world full of iPods, Xboxes and 500-channel digital cable, our youngsters are spending more and more time indoors on the couch, disconnected from the natural world. Conservationist for Kids gives children across the state a reason to venture outside, offering fun and informative activities that we hope will spark a connection and concern for nature that lasts a lifetime." Conservationist for Kids, published three times annually, is written for students at or around fourth-grade level, an ideal time for children to develop an interest in the outdoors and experience it first hand. [excerpted]

Philly's cold shoulder http://washingtontimes.com/article/20080122/EDITORIAL/843614516/1013 http://tinyurl.com/3c6ant By Hans Zeiger January 22, 2008 The youth of Philadelphia are in danger. There are as many as 3,900 homeless families in Philadelphia. Only about half of Philadelphia ninth-graders graduate from high school within four years, and last year's state standardized math and reading tests came back to 11th graders in Philadelphia public schools with 70 percent of scores below proficient. In 2006, 1,030 young Philadelphians between the ages of 7 and 24 were shot; 179 kids were murdered. On such a battlefield, it would make sense for the City of Philadelphia to partner with churches and non-profit organizations to provide after-school programs, youth sports leagues, mentoring, and summer camp opportunities anything to keep kids off the streets, away from drugs and in school. To that end, hundreds of Philadelphia churches are involved in school safety and mentoring programs. People of faith volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters through the Amachi Program. So, when city leaders announced in recent months that the Cradle of Liberty Boy Scouts Council must abandon its long-held position of excluding homosexual leaders and members if it is to keep its headquarters building at a rent of $1 per year, the fight to save the children of Philadelphia took a turn for the worst. For almost eight decades, the Scouts have occupied a Beaux-Arts building that they built at the corner of 22nd and Winter Streets, on land the city granted them "in perpetuity." Today, claims of political correctness apparently outweigh claims of perpetuity. Since the Scouts' membership policy was said to conflict with the city's nondiscrimination code, liberal city leaders saw an opportunity. In June, the city council voted 16-1 to cancel the Boy Scouts' $1 per year lease, and in October, a new rate was announced: $200,000 per year. So one thing is self-evident in the Cradle of Liberty: The boys of Philadelphia need to come in from the crossfire on the streets to get involved with the local Boy Scout troop. And as long as the city is firing shots at the Boy Scouts, we can expect the crime rate to rise, and rise and rise. -- Hans Zeiger, an Eagle Scout and assistant Scoutmaster is a senior fellow at the American Civil Rights Union. [excerpted]

John, I'm not surprised you got that response. I've never taught JLT, so I haven't invested as much time or energy in that course as your friend has. Of course he's gonna stick with what he knows -- if something you spent so much time learning and perfecting was made obsolete overnite, how would you feel about the new toy? I have taught TLT 5-6 tmes over the last three years. Each time, at the completion, I ask the boys who've been through both JLT and TLT which they prefer. Invariably, the boys with knowledge of both prefer TLT over JLT. To me, that's the acid test of the worth of the new course. Plus, the concepts in the new course dovetail nicely with what the boys will learn in NYLT at the Council level, and for a lucky few, at NAYLE at Philmont. Some may even hear the concepts again at WB21C when they age-out and become young adult leaders. Given such reinforcement at multiple levels, I think adults do their youth a disservice when they continue to teach the old curriculum. It doesn't matter how superior we personally think JLT was -- the fact is, TLT is the current youth training syllabus, and as a trainer and ASM, I believe I should follow the current syllabus. What your friend is doing is tantamount to saying the old Scout HB from the 50s or 60s is superior to today's Scout HB, so that's what we'll use in our troop. OTOH, if it works for him and his boys, who am I to judge?

FYI: a Cub Scouter named Mike Newman from Fort Smith, AR has an interesting blog: Awesome Cub Scouting His first entry is from Jan 16: "Big 7 Cub Scout Retention Tips"

What to show at the border as of Jan. 31 http://tinyurl.com/28ae7a By The Associated Press Thu Jan 17, 5:25 PM ET To cross the U.S.-Canadian border, a driver's license alone won't cut it anymore. Starting Jan. 31, you will need to have a passport or similarly secure document, or a combination of two other documents. Single document option: U.S. or Canadian passport. U.S. passcard (these won't be available until spring). So-called "trusted traveler card," which includes NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST cards (These are typically used only by people who cross the border frequently, often for work). State or province issued "enhanced" driver's license (states are only beginning to produce these, so they are not available in most places). U.S. military ID with travel orders. U.S. merchant mariner document. Native American Tribal Photo ID card. Form I-872 American Indian Card. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Card. If you don't have a passport or one of these other IDs, there is a two-document option, the most likely combination being a driver's license and a birth certificate. Border crossers can present a driver's license or ID card, or a U.S. or Canadian ID card, along with one of the following: Birth certificate. U.S. Consular report of birth abroad. U.S. Certificate of Naturalization. U.S. Certificate of Citizenship. U.S. Citizen Identification Card. Canadian citizenship card. Canadian certificate of citizenship without photo. 18 and under: U.S. and Canadian citizens 18 and younger need a birth certificate issued by a federal, state, provincial, county, or municipal authority. Source: U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security

OGE: "Laser" was removed; I don't believe "laser tag" was ever in the G2SS.

Actually, "lasers" were formerly included in the G2SS list of unauthorized activities. That ban was recently lifted. Here's a post just today from SCOUTS-L (reposted with permission): ==== Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:55:12 -0500 Sender: Scouts-L Youth Group List From: wendie howland Subject: The last word on lasertag All, I asked National RM for a definitive reading on this. Got the following: > "... (we have modified the online) Guide to Safe Scouting and > removed the word "lasers" from the unauthorized activities. The > Risk Management Advisory Panel, made up of two Scout Executives > from each region, elected to remove the wording. This does not > change anything regarding paintball. After two committees reviewed > the topic in 2007, paintball is still an unauthorized activity. Many thanks to them for the response, and you all have a great day! ==== The online G2SS may be found here: http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/toc.html This is the specific section that has been modified (see "Unauthorized or Restricted Activities): http://www.scouting.org/pubs/gss/gss09.html#e Fred

I may have told this story before, but its relevant to the "young Scout vs. winter camping" debate (even though its about Cub Scouts). As a Tiger, my son was looking forward to his very first campout with the Cub Scout Pack (this was in Maryland, in the fall of 2000). Because it was a pack campout, our whole family went (me, the wife, my teen-age daughter and my 7-yo son). It was "car camping" so we could take as much or as little as we wanted. Its a good thing we overpacked. As it turned out, that weekend was the first sub-freezing weekend of the fall. What started out as a nice campout in relatively balmy conditions quickly changed into a scramble to dig out heavy sweaters, extra blankets, etc. When I woke to temps in the 20s on that Saturday, I was afraid my son would be turned off to camping (and Scouting) for life. But that weekend turned out to be one of his favorite times of all. He had a great time, and with all the planned activities, he hardly noticed the cold. I understand that Boy Scout camping is not the same as Cub / family camping; having four sleeping bags in the same tent, two of them adults, all sleeping next to each other probably kept us a lot warmer than two skinny Boy Scouts sleeping on opposite sides of a tent could do (given the limits of what they can wear / pack). I think the moral is: plan for the worst and make it fun; you might be surprised how tough the little guys really are. BTW: we live in Texas now, my son is 14 and he really misses the snow!

What he said . . .

Pappy, welcome to the Forums.

As the OP, I just want to clarify that it wasn't my intent to start a flame war re: underage drinking OR underage driving. I just thought it was sad that this law, although well-intentioned, has the unfortunate (and unforeseen) consequence of derailing a worthwhile service, which happened to be provided by a school-sponsored Venturing Crew. You may return to your regularly scheduled flaming . . .

Our troop does not use the NSP, but we do assign an ASM who is responsible for the new boys during their first year in the troop. He is responsible for seeing that new boys advance and that they are getting the opportunities for skills instruction, testing & sign-off in their patrols. Its not his job to ensure that every new Scout makes it to FC in the FY -- only that they get the opportunity (via scheduled monthly campouts, skills instruction at troop meetings, etc.) to advance in a year. After the first year, the boys are treated like all the other boys in the troop, and the new incoming cohort is assigned another ASM to take them through the first year. The ASM for the new boys doesn't plan their program -- he just tracks progress and "encourages" boys who may fall behind. But if a parent holds a boy out of summer camp or other monthly campouts, it increases the time for him to make FC beyond the FY -- that's no big deal in our troop. We award a FCFY patch for those who make it, but we don't stigmatize those who don't -- we let them advance at their own pace. We encourage FCFY because we've been told (and I tend to agree) that the boys who make FCFY tend to stay in the program longer than those who don't. Bottom line: we don't have a separate and distinct FCFY program, per se -- the new boys follow the program as decided by the PLC, SPL and SM. But we do assign an ASM to "ride herd" over the new guys to see that they get advancement opportunities; its up to the boys to take advantage of those opportunities.

Girl Scout saved her father's life http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/412480.html Posted on Wed, Jan. 16, 2008 By JESSAMY BROWN Star-Telegram Staff Writer GRAPEVINE -- Peyton Nairon said it was the "buddy system" that helped her save her father's life. When her father was in danger of drowning last summer at a California beach, Peyton, 12, initiated a rescue. Her quick actions earned her a Girl Scout Medal of Honor, the second-highest award bestowed by the New York-based Girl Scouts of the USA. Members of Peyton's troop and other supporters gathered this month at St. Laurence Episcopal Church in Southlake for a recognition ceremony. Peyton received a medal to pin on her green Scouting vest. "I'm really proud that I was able to receive it and to know that I helped." said Peyton, a sixth-grader at Durham Intermediate School in Southlake. "It was kind of like a freak accident. I'm just glad that he is O.K." [excerpted]

Beavah: I think I agree with some of the others. If you want a FCFY program, just ask for it -- no need to post a bunch of complicating assumptions. Our troop has a FCFY program -- we manage to get most of our boys through it successfully, but we don't always get 100%. We usually camp once a month, but we've rarely (I think 2-3 times in 30+ years) cancel an outing due to weather. But we would never hold to an outstanding if safety of the Scouts was at risk. We don't use the NSP (but I think we should). I don't understand what you're getting at with #8 -- we don't use the patrol method when teaching MBs, I don't see why it must be enforced with teaching T-2-1 class skills. If you think we're not doing it the "right" way because we don't follow all your assumptions, all I can say is, it works for us.

Welcome back, Bob.

To all you web gurus out there: So what's the difference between java server pages (current setup) vs. active server pages (new setup)? Will we as users really notice any difference, other than breaking any deep-links we may have?

I wear a red, long-sleeved moc-turtleneck under my short-sleeved Scoutshirt when the temps drop. I also have a red jac-shirt. The undershirt has a gold FDL on the collar, but its a generic FDL, not the BSA variety. I bought it at the NCAC Scout Shop about five years ago and just assumed it was official. I've not seen another since I bought it (and a matching blue one for when I'm doing cold-weather Cub stuff).

Teen safety program now illegal http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-saferides_12jan12,0,884117.story http://tinyurl.com/2mlxpt State curfew puts brakes on students' late-night rides home By Tara Malone Tribune staff reporter 6:33 AM CST, January 12, 2008 A program that for nearly 15 years offered North Shore teenagers a safe ride home on weekend nights has been forced to hang up its car keys, grounded by a new set of laws intended to keep teen drivers safe. Illinois' sweeping overhaul of teen driving laws, which took effect Jan. 1, moved the weekend curfew for young drivers back to 11 p.m. to get them off the roads at the most dangerous times. But those were precisely the hours of greatest demand for Safe Rides, a program run by New Trier High School teens under the leadership of the Boy Scouts of America. Now unable to offer the vast majority of free rides requested -- it gave more than 1,200 teens a lift home last year -- Safe Rides is on hiatus. The law change also tabled plans to bring similar programs to Evanston, Glenview and Lincolnshire, said Jeff Brooks, a district chairman with the Boy Scouts who coordinates the New Trier program. "We knew it may have a large effect on us, we just didn't know how large it was really going to be," said Ricky Dyer, 17, a Winnetka senior who leads Safe Rides. This weekend will be the first with the program shut down. Most calls for a ride come after midnight, making it impractical to operate if students cannot respond after 11 p.m., organizers said. The comprehensive law also tripled the length of a learner's permit, tightened passenger restrictions and increased training hours behind the wheel, all risk factors in crashes that kill an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 teens annually. The sweeping overhaul ranked Illinois' laws among the most far-reaching nationwide. Organizers cling to the hope that state lawmakers will open a loophole allowing Safe Rides to rev back up. On Friday, Dyer and co-president Jana Orenstein, 16, a junior from Glencoe, discussed the hiatus with their classmates during morning announcements. "Efforts are currently being made to amend the legislation to allow organizations like Safe Rides to operate. ... We hope to be up and running in February," their statement read. Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, an Evanston Democrat, this week alerted area police chiefs that he plans to push for an exemption from the weekend curfew. Exceptions already exist for school- and work-related activities. Schoenberg said he wants to extend the waiver to approved non-profit organizations with liability insurance, such as Safe Rides. One of the new law's architects, Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said they support such a change. Some transportation experts worry such waivers risk weakening the law. Lawmakers and program organizers alike said they oppose any measure that would "take out the teeth" of the graduated driver's license bill. "Exceptions create situations where kids can take advantage of a law," said John Ulczycki, transportation safety director with the Itasca-based National Safety Council. Still, he said, the idea merits a hearing. "Kids are very creative at coming up with programs that help themselves, and I've learned to listen to them," he said. Created in 1994, the New Trier Township program trains sophomores, juniors and seniors to give a ride home to any teen who needs it, whether because of alcohol or social discomfort. Six of every 10 calls come because a teenager had too much to drink, Brooks said. Under adult supervision, teens field calls, dispatch cars and do the driving every Friday and Saturday night. In the youth center of the Kenilworth Union Church, which doubles as the group's headquarters, a student checks every caller's name with the address listed in New Trier's directory to ensure they are taken home and not to another gathering. With that confirmed, a driver and navigator head out in every car. Each team consists of a boy and a girl. Neither Kenilworth Union Church nor New Trier High School sponsors the program. The Boy Scouts of America shoulder the responsibility entirely for the New Trier program and others nationwide. Through its Venturing division, the Boy Scouts teaches teens how to glean the necessary information -- where the callers live, what they are wearing, how they can be reached -- avoid trouble on the road and identify symptoms of alcohol poisoning. The national organization also provides liability insurance. Nearly two dozen teens report for evening duty just after 10 p.m. on any given weekend. Students chat over a shared pizza, play table tennis or watch TV. Come 11:15 p.m., when most calls begin flooding in, they settle into well-rehearsed roles. Sophomores typically answer calls, keeping a log of every request. The program guarantees anonymity to callers. Juniors, who may not yet be eligible to drive, often ride along to navigate or call back to headquarters for the next pickup. Drivers must be at least 17 and have at least a year's experience behind the wheel. Each team transports one student at a time, and they only take kids home. Depending on the night, the wait can stretch to 30 minutes or an hour. "Sometimes you just have to say, 'we're not there to get you home by your curfew. We're there to get you home safe.' That is our main objective," Dyer said. Things rarely slow down until 2 a.m. With a reserve of nearly 200 volunteers, most students work five or six nights a year. They wear badges signed by Brooks that tag them as volunteers. Such identifiers come in handy if the volunteers encounter police officers. "To my knowledge, there's never been a concern on the part of a Winnetka police officer about their operations," Winnetka Deputy Police Chief Patrick Kreis said. "What we have done is make sure our staff is aware of the operation." The program is not without critics. Opponents often charge the service implicitly condones teen drinking by offering a consequence-free safety net. They say the service undercuts the fact that underage drinking is a crime. Others say it makes taxi drivers of student volunteers who assume tremendous responsibility in dealing with peers who may be inebriated. Brooks acknowledges the operation may cloud the issue of underage alcohol use. Still, he contends it confronts the reality of teen drinking with an organized program that allows students to help one another. "It's the wrong decision, obviously, but if teenagers choose to drink anyway, it's important they are safe about it," Orenstein said.

I guess its asking too much for my Council to join the 20th century, let alone the 21st! Our council's "bi-monthly" newsletter was issued ONCE over the last two years. Given their low-regard for timely information flow, I think getting my council to follow National's lead and update its website is hopeless.

CubScoutJo writes:I am considering telling the scouts that the first one who gets his written plan to me will be the one that gets to do requirement 8 for this CoH.Be careful; the requirements don't provide for receipt of a written plan by either the MBC or the SM; its enough for the Scout to WRITE a script, after getting his plan approved by the PLC. Nowhere does it say the MBC or SM must receive (or approve) the plan (or script) before conducting the COH (or campfire).

I'm an ASM in one of those troops where the adults run everything, all the while claiming that it is "boy-led". Of course, the adults run the COHs. As MB counselor for Communications, it is obvious to me that BSA thinks boys can and should run COHs. Communications MB requirement #8 requires a boy to develop a written plan for a troop COH (or troop campfire), get it approved by the PLC, then act as MC for the COH (or campfire). When I mention this requirement to our adults, I get a blank stare in return; to them, having the boys do the monthly campfire is enough. The adults have "always" done the COHs (troop is over 30 years old), and maybe it will always be that way. Well, except when they want to make an exception. Last year, a Life Scout, the son of a very important member of the troop, was about to turn 18. He lacked his Comm MB, and the next troop campout would be too late -- so the adults handed this boy a script for the COH, he read it, his MBC approved his Communications MB, and now the boy is an Eagle Scout. Don't think this "cutting of corners" and downright favoritism wasn't noticed by the younger guys. "Eagle" Scout hasn't been back since his ECOH. Anyway, I digress -- yes, boys can and should plan and conduct the COH. "Never do a job a boy can do"

In the three years I've been an ASM in my son's troop, none of the boys (as far as I know) have brought this up. This sounds like another thing that adults wring their hands over that the boys don't seem to worry about . . .

To the parent who thinks the Scouts Own is a waste of time: Remind them that the first duty in the Scout Oath is "Duty to God", and that the twelfth point of the Scout Law is that "A Scout is Reverent". The duty and law are there for a reason -- and we should not forget the faith componenet of Scouting. I applaud what you are doing with your troop. I encourage you to get the Chaplain Aide more involved in planning and leading the Scouts Own Sunday service. "Never do a job a boy can do"

I haven't gotten my issue yet, but I'd never hold up a photo in "Scouting" (or Boy's Life, for that matter) as an example for others to follow re: proper uniforming. The sources for proper uniforming are the various boy & leader handbooks, the uniform inspection sheets, and the Insignia Guide. Anything else is unofficial and not worth wasting a lot of hot air on, in my opinion . . .

War on 'Merry Christmas'? http://access.aikenstandard.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/aik/archive/2007/December/09/site-localnews/143446.xml&start=0&numPer=20&keyword=Haley+Hughes&sectionSearch=&begindate=1%2F1%2F2002&enddate=12%2F31%2F2007&authorSearch=&IncludeStories=1&pubsection=&page=&IncludePages=&IncludeImages=&mode=allwords&archive_pubname=Aiken+Standard%0A%09%09%09 http://tinyurl.com/262vx4 Date December 09, 2007 By HALEY HUGHES Staff writer What would you say if someone wished you a "Merry Christmas"? Would your response be "Merry Christmas to you, too," or would you ever so subtly correct them by throwing out the more politically correct term, "Happy Holidays"? Would you say anything at all? In an ever-increasingly PC world, it seems "Happy Holidays" is the more accepted greeting passed from person to person when the holiday season (whatever the holiday may be) arrives. The fear of offending someone by referring to Christianity's most treasured figure has driven individuals and businesses to declare "war on Christmas." After all, not everyone believes in Jesus Christ and celebrates Christmas, and society is conscious of that, perhaps now more than ever. An anonymous TalkBack recently submitted to the Aiken Standard makes note of the PC wave: "I went to (a retailer) to purchase something and was waited on by a very nice lady who told me that they were not allowed to wish people a Merry Christmas out of fear of offending them." But is the "war on Christmas" battle being fought in Aiken, S.C.? We at the Aiken Standard wanted to find out. During our day-to-day out at stores and eateries, we said to clerks we hoped they had a Merry Christmas and gauged their reactions. Out of the 10 places we visited, we heard a return "Merry Christmas" only twice. Two clerks said, "Thank you." The remaining responses, except for one, were, "You, too" or a variation thereof. Everyone was cordial. Not once did we hear a negative response or a verbal correction for not being politically correct. Barry Markovsky, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of South Carolina, remembers the push to become PC around the holidays surfacing during his college years in the 1970s. There are two ways a person can react upon hearing "Merry Christmas," he said. "One, you take it as a benign, positive greeting. People may see that somebody cares about their happiness. Two, there can be an overcorrection. You can take a benign greeting and turn it into an insult," Markovsky said. "People take it as a signal of a lack of awareness." Hints of awareness were spotted at Sunday's Aiken Christmas parade. Interestingly enough, we heard a young boy seated on a Boy Scout troop float in Sunday's Aiken Christmas Parade shout, "Happy Hanukkah" to the crowd. Right after that, a Girl Scout troop float rode by, decorated with a mural of the Star of David, dreidels and menorahs. While the "war on Christmas" continues, Markovsky noted that he is seeing the "pendulum swing the other way" -- some are offended when Christ is taken out of Christmas, to sometimes be replaced with an "X." By numbers alone -- gathered with our minimally scientific method -- there is evidence of the war being fought in Aiken. As to what side will win and where it will lead us is anybody's guess. In the meantime, have a Merry Christmas. The response we received after saying to store and restaurant clerks, "I hope you have a Merry Christmas." Chick-fil-A: "You, too." (Our order came with three sauce packages for dipping. Coincidence? You decide.) Dollar General: "Merry Christmas." Bi-Lo: "You, too." Salvation Army bell ringer: "Merry Christmas." CVS: "Thank you." Save-a-Lot: "Thank you." Aiken Drug: "You, too." Wal-Mart: "Same to you." Maurices: "You too." Belk: "I hope so, too. This is retail, you know."??