fgoodwin

OK, its time to bring up my standard unit commissioner joke (you guys that've heard this can skip to the next post / thread now): QUESTION: What's the difference between a unit commissioner and a UFO? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANSWER: Some people have actually SEEN UFOs! Now, being a UC myself, it pains me to admit that there is much truth to that joke (well, at least with respect to the alleged invisibility of UCs; I'll leave the "reality" of UFO sightings for another day!) I try to visit my units regularly, but having five packs and a troop, with the troop meeting on the same night as my son's troop (where I'm an ASM), makes it hard to do. Let me say I NEVER visit my units unannounced. I think it is common courtesy to ask for permission to come, if for no other reason than to confirm I have the right date, time and location. I try to stay in regular contact by telephone and email, so I know when problems arise. I don't want to be a UC who only shows up when there's a problem, or when its time for the annual FOS campaign, or just to get a free meal at B&G or COH. I like to stay on good terms with the unit leaders and committe chairs so they are OK calling me when there is a problem that I don't already know about. I believe I have a pretty good relationship with my units, but its entirely possible they might have another take on it.

On the playground of a northern Colorado Springs elementary school, tag is not it. http://www.gazette.com/articles/school_26621___article.html/games_tag.html http://tinyurl.com/2n5ksw Springs elementary gives tag a timeout By BRIAN NEWSOME THE GAZETTE August 29, 2007 - 4:05PM The touch-and-run game and any other form of chasing was banned this year at Discovery Canyon Campus elementary school by administrators who say it fuels schoolyard disputes. It causes a lot of conflict on the playground, said Assistant Principal Cindy Fesgen. In the first days of school, before tag was banned, she said students would complain to her about being chased or harassed. Fesgen said she would hear: Well, I dont want to be chased, but he wont stop chasing me, or she wont stop chasing me. Fesgen said two parents complained to her about the demise of tag, but she said that generally, parents and children didnt fuss about the new rules. Running games are still OK, she said, as long as students dont run after one another. The Academy School District 20 elementary school isnt the first in the Pikes Peak region to take issue with traditional recess games. In 2005, two elementaries in Falcon School District 49 adopted a structured recess program, Trouble-Free Playground, that did away with games like tag in favor of alternative activities that cut down on physical contact. Evans and Meridian Ranch elementaries said the program encouraged more students to play games and helped reduce playground squabbles. Nationally, several schools have done away with tag and other games because of the accidents and arguments they can lead to. Its a trend that has rankled some parents and childhood experts who say games such as tag contribute to childrens social and physical development. Fesgen, who has supervised playgrounds for more than 20 years, said this is not the first school where shes restricted chase games. She still believes in free play. Students can run races and run around with friends, she said. There is plenty for them to do, she said. DETAILS In 2005, two elementaries in Falcon School District 49 adopted a structured recess program, Trouble-Free Playground, that did away with chasing games in favor of other activities that cut down on physical contact. Evans and Meridian Ranch elementaries said the program helped reduce playground squabbles.

Scouts Nationwide to Compete for 100th Anniversary Logo http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-27-2007/0004652077 http://tinyurl.com/37d52o Once-in-a-Lifetime Design Contest Celebrates Boy Scouts of America's Coming 2010 Milestone DALLAS, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all Scouts! Nearly three million Scouting youth from every corner of the country are invited to participate in a special contest launched today by the Boy Scouts of America to design the new logo that will showcase BSA's upcoming 100th anniversary. Centered on the theme "Celebrating the Adventure. Continuing the Journey," the winning logo design will be chosen by a select panel of judges for use as the official symbol of the 100th anniversary beginning in 2008 and for the duration of BSA's widespread celebration culminating in 2010. "As we approach this important organizational milestone we'll be working hard to inspire, engage, and empower the entire Scouting community," said incoming Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca. "What better way to create a logo that signifies the true spirit of Scouting than to go directly to the source- our talented youth? We are inviting every Scout to help us develop a design that truly captures Scouting's rich heritage and the promise of our journey ahead." The overall winner will work side-by-side with nationally recognized graphic artist and Eagle Scout Kit Hinrichs in his San Francisco office to prepare the design for the variety of formats required for its widespread national use. Entries are due by midnight, November 30, 2007. In addition to a best overall design winner, judges will select winners in four other categories: best design by a Webelos Scout or Cub Scout, a Boy Scout, an Eagle Scout, and a Venturer. Winners in each of the five categories will be chosen in January 2008 and will be honored at a special BSA leadership meeting in May 2008. Every registered Scout who enters the contest will receive a special patch and certificate. Additionally, participation in this contest fulfills one of the requirements for a Graphics Arts Merit Badge. Members of the selection panel have been chosen for their experience and expertise in graphic arts, culture, history, and Scouting volunteerism and achievement. In addition to Hinrichs, panel members include: -- Elaine Didier, director, President Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum -- Ann B. N'Gadi, BSA volunteer and technical information specialist with the Smithsonian Institution's Museum Conservation Institute -- John Gottschalk, BSA executive vice president and chairman and CEO of the Omaha World-Herald Company -- Joe Csatari, renowned Scouting artist -- Christian Tobler, Eagle Scout and graphic arts student -- Stephen Medlicott, director, BSA Marketing and Communications Division -- Jim Wilson, associate publisher and director of BSA Custom Communications Division -- Larry Knapp, director, BSA Merchandising Division -- Ethan Draddy, Scout executive, Jersey Shore Council, Toms River, N.J. -- Kent York, director of marketing, Northern Star Council, St. Paul, Minn. First incorporated in February 1910, BSA is known for the motto "Be Prepared." In keeping with that spirit of preparation, the organization is planning a broad, purpose-driven 100th anniversary celebration over the next few years to "reintroduce" Scouting in America-to celebrate the organization's past and to reinforce the important role Scouting will play in shaping the country's future, Mazzuca said. The goal of the 100th anniversary logo contest is to create a memorable design that captures and embodies that message for the nation. "Scouting has been and continues to be an important part of my life," Hinrichs said. "I am very excited to have been asked to be part of this celebration and contest, but I am even more excited to see what comes from the talent, creativity and teamwork from Scouts throughout this great country." Submissions may be entered through the BSA's new 100th anniversary Web site, http://www.scouting.org/100years, or by mail to: Boy Scouts of America; P.O. Box 152079; Irving, Texas 75015-2079; ATTN: Anniversary Logo Contest. All contest rules will be included on the Web site, and additional contest information will be packaged and sent to Boy Scout leaders and volunteers in councils, packs, troops, and crews across the country. SOURCE Boy Scouts of America

Let me second John's comments (and everyone's also). I too, am a former CC, and I've also started a new Pack (I was ACM for the new Pack). I was fortunate that, because the new school was carved out of the attendance zones of two other schools (both of which had Packs), many of the families joining the new Pack actually transferred from their old packs -- so most of the families actually knew about Cub Scouts. Made my life much easier. At first, we had only 15 boys (a Tiger den, a Wolf den and a Bear den). When you think about it, it made sense that the 4th & 5th graders would stay with their old packs, so they could graduate with their friends, even if they had a pack closer to their homes. Anyway, that pack was started in the fall of 2003 with 15 boys now has over 50 boys, four years later. We were successful, not through anything I did, but because we had dedicated parents step up and take on the necessary roles. At first, as pack organizer, they wanted me to be CM, but with my own son in a different pack, I could not split time and give them the time they really needed in a CM -- so another dad stepped up. My wife was CC, but only for the first year. Another mom took over the 2nd year. I was popcorn chair the 1st year, but yet another mom took over the 2nd year. I didn't even have to chair the PWD that 1st year; we had a go-getter dad step up to do that. And one of the experienced moms took on the B&G the first year -- it was a huge success! I was UC for that new Pack for a couple of years, but I've since let another UC take over. The pack is now very successful and most important -- self sustaining! They no longer need my help, and in fact, the Tigers who started the pack will be graduating this spring. Meaning that in the fall of '08, almost none of the families will know (or even care) who started the pack. But that's fine with me! The key is spreading out the chores (like they say in the training video, many hands make light work) and using all the available resources. Someone mentioned the monthly RT -- also use the program helps -- don't reinvent the wheel!

Our monthly campouts and weekly troop meetings follow no theme at all. In our allegedly "boy-led" troop, the PLC (and the guys in general) have no clue what to do about camp-out activities if left to their own. So the adults step-in and take over all program planning (like I said, we're "boy-led" in name only). The problem is, the boys have never been taught how to plan anything, other than a campout menu. They've never been taught how to plan and run a troop meeting, a PLC meeting, or a campout (other than cooking). Twice I've asked to be included in the annual program planning meeting, and I've been told it hasn't been scheduled yet. Our troop plans its program on a calendar year basis, rather than a school year, so although we normally do our program plan in August, there's still time to get it done. I think the current SM (he's stepping down in October) wants to get the new PLC elected and let them plan the year (elections are in September). Assuming I'm not barred from the program planning meeting, I plan to show the boys the monthly themes and the Troop Program Features (which I doubt they've ever seen) and see for myself how much real planning the boys are allowed to do vs. how much the adults take over. Wish me luck . . .

One in four read no books last year http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070821/ap_on_re_us/reading_habits_ap_poll http://tinyurl.com/28zjpe By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer Tue Aug 21, 7:01 PM ET WASHINGTON - There it sits on your night stand, that book you've meant to read for who knows how long but haven't yet cracked open. Tonight, as you feel its stare from beneath that teetering pile of magazines, know one thing - you are not alone. One in four adults read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Of those who did read, women and older people were most avid, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices. The survey reveals a nation whose book readers, on the whole, can hardly be called ravenous. The typical person claimed to have read four books in the last year - half read more and half read fewer. Excluding those who hadn't read any, the usual number read was seven. "I just get sleepy when I read," said Richard Bustos of Dallas, a habit with which millions of Americans can doubtless identify. Bustos, a 34-year-old project manager for a telecommunications company, said he had not read any books in the last year and would rather spend time in his backyard pool. That choice by Bustos and others is reflected in book sales, which have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way indefinitely. Analysts attribute the listlessness to competition from the Internet and other media, the unsteady economy and a well- established industry with limited opportunities for expansion. When the Gallup Poll asked in 2005 how many books people had at least started - a similar but not directly comparable question - the typical answer was five. That was down from 10 in 1999, but close to the 1990 response of six. In 2004, a National Endowment for the Arts report titled "Reading at Risk" found only 57 percent of American adults had read a book in 2002, a four percentage point drop in a decade. The study faulted television, movies and the Internet. Who are the 27 percent of people the AP-Ipsos poll found hadn't read a single book this year? Nearly a third of men and a quarter of women fit that category. They tend to be older, less educated, lower income, minorities, from rural areas and less religious. At the same time, book enthusiasts abound. Many in the survey reported reading dozens of books and said they couldn't do without them. "I go into another world when I read," said Charlotte Fuller, 64, a retired nurse from Seminole, Fla., who said she read 70 books in the last year. "I read so many sometimes I get the stories mixed up." Among those who said they had read books, the median figure - with half reading more, half fewer - was nine books for women and five for men. The figures also indicated that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and up read more than those who are younger. Pollyann Baird, 84, a retired school librarian in Loveland, Colo., says J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter fantasy series is her favorite. But she has forced herself to not read the latest and final installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," because she has yet to file her income taxes this year due to an illness and worries that once she started the book, "I know I'd have to finish it." People from the West and Midwest are more likely to have read at least one book in the past year. Southerners who do read, however, tend to read more books, mostly religious books and romance novels, than people from other regions. Whites read more than blacks and Hispanics, and those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many as those who attend frequently. There was even some political variety evident, with Democrats and liberals typically reading slightly more books than Republicans and conservatives. The Bible and religious works were read by two-thirds in the survey, more than all other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries were all cited by about half, while one in five read romance novels. Every other genre - including politics, poetry and classical literature - were named by fewer than five percent of readers. More women than men read every major category of books except for history and biography. Industry experts said that confirms their observation that men tend to prefer nonfiction. "Fiction just doesn't interest me," said Bob Ryan, 41, who works for a construction company in Guntersville, Ala. "If I'm going to get a story, I'll get a movie." Those likeliest to read religious books included older and married women, lower earners, minorities, lesser educated people, Southerners, rural residents, Republicans and conservatives. The publishing business totaled $35.7 billion in global sales last year, 3 percent more than the previous year, according to the Book Industry Study Group, a trade association. About 3.1 billion books were sold, an increase of less than 1 percent. The AP-Ipsos poll was conducted from August 6 to 8 and involved telephone interviews with 1,003 adults. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. ___ AP Manager of News Surveys Trevor Tompson and AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.

There's a segment of WB21C that is taught by Venturing youth. At least that's how my Council does it -- I don't know if that's per the syllabus or not . . .

OGE: I think Ed was referring to a script adding some text to the subject line in his post. I haven't seen the problem he refers to, but there is another thread going on about it in the Announcements Forum.

For the record, I am half-Japanese. I was born in Japan, but moved to the US at an early age. When my mother and I came to the states, we didn't speak any English. But by the time I started school, I had forgotten all of my Japanese and spoke only English. No one offered English lessons to me or my mother, other than those she had taken as a youth in school back in Japan. I learned it simply by osmosis. We were thrown into a new culture and forced to learn the language and culture if we were to survive. We did so and survived quite nicely without a separate support system of teachers speaking in Japanese while we learned English. Foreigners coming here now have it much easier than we did back in the mid-50s. Because of my own background, I can understand and sympathise with the plight of non-English speakers coming to the US. But I don't have a lot of sympathy for those who cry discrimination and want everything written or spoken to them in their native langauge. In my view, if you're going to move to and live in the US, that means you need to learn English and assimilate into our culture. Lack of English and clinging to your old culture means you'll have a much harder time fitting-in and a much greater likelihood of unemployment (or low-wage employment). Then those same folks turn around and claim the "system" is against them and holding them back? While I can see the value of culture-specific schools like the one at issue, I also have to look back and wonder why recent new-comers can't assimilate the same way generations of immigrants did before them? Things like this Arabic school make it harder to maintain the "melting pot" that has made the US so successful over the last 200+ years.

The Decalogue, dangerous? Advice for a society that cringes at commandments http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-dreher_19edi.ART.State.Edition1.4223a2f.html http://tinyurl.com/2o8ykv 09:09 AM CDT on Sunday, August 19, 2007 Rod Dreher Everybody with male children this summer seems to be reading the wonderful retro guidebook The Dangerous Book for Boys. I was startled, and pleased, to find amid the knot-tying, semaphore-reading, poker playing and all things the Dennis the Menace set needs to know a page dedicated to, of all things, the Ten Commandments. The Decalogue, dangerous? The commandments certainly are regarded as hazardous by the Irritable-American community, which successfully petitions the courts to banish them from public life. At least these stalwart secularists give the Decalogue its due; most of us admire the Ten Commandments just enough to avoid taking them seriously. If we grasped how radical they truly are, we'd find them an offensive stumbling block to us middle-class moderns, who live in a rebellious age characterized by sociologist Daniel Bell as "the rejection of a revealed order, or natural order, and the substitution of the ego, the self, as the lodestar of consciousness." Another dangerous book this summer, this one for grown-ups, is David Klinghoffer's marvelously lucid Shattered Tablets: Why We Ignore The Ten Commandments at Our Peril. It weaves theological insight with the author's reflections on living in a society (ours, alas) that has cast off the Decalogue's authority. Mr. Klinghoffer is a religious Jew, but his argument is as sociological as it is theological. The Ten Commandments are far more than a list of taboos, Mr. Klinghoffer explains. They reveal what it means to live a fully human life, both as individuals and in community and as commandments (not suggestions), they provide us with the psychological means of doing so. That is, the justice of the commandments is guaranteed by the God who issued them an all-powerful being who will judge individuals and cultures by these laws. The old-fashioned phrase "the fear of the Lord" meant precisely the respect men owed to God and his laws a respect that, properly understood, bound their consciences and compelled their obedience. Mr. Klinghoffer cites the work of noted Baylor University sociologist Rodney Stark, who found that across global cultures, the degree to which individuals believe in a personal God indicates how likely they are to behave morally. You don't have to believe in God to be good, but it demonstrably helps. Mr. Klinghoffer identifies the loss of the Ten Commandments' as responsible for America's cultural crises. No surprise there: What else would you expect a believing Jew (or Christian) to say? But here's the thing: This is essentially the same conclusion reached by the late Philip Rieff, an agnostic who was one of the 20th century's most important social critics. Mr. Rieff, a sociologist whose most important work dealt with psychology and religion, taught that all cultures develop from prohibitions, that is, the creative tension between the commanding "Thou shalt not" and the assertive "I will." We now dwell in an anti-culture, according to Mr. Rieff, in which we no longer feel the pull of old prohibitions against the expression of individual instinct and will to power. In biblical terms, we have lost the fear of the Lord and in Mr. Rieff's telling, the absence of "holy fear" makes us terrors unto ourselves and one another. By placing the Self in the place of God, said Mr. Rieff, Western man has passed into a perilous state in which his fear, anxiety and loss of ultimate meaning can only be endured through pleasure-seeking and other therapeutic means. We latter-day Americans are wealthy and cultured, but we quickly approach a state of barbarism, which Mr. Rieff defined as "the sophisticated cutting off of the inhibiting authority of the past." Popular American Christianity, with its Jesus-As-Best-Friend rather than Sovereign Lord, is in Mr. Rieff's view an ersatz substitute. What both the believing Jew Klinghoffer and the unbelieving Jew Rieff affirm is the absolute requirement of religious grounding to maintain a moral culture. We will live in holy terror the fear of the Lord or we will live in terror of ourselves and one another. Why? Because we know what humans who recognize no authority but themselves are capable of. "How a culture thinks about God will go a long way toward determining how it thinks about other people," writes Mr. Klinghoffer. For all our historical crimes and failings, no culture in the history of the world has treated the individual with as much respect as the Western civilization, which derived its worldview largely from the Bible. If we lose the image of God as revealed in the laws he declared on Sinai, we will lose the Western image of the human person. And then? Many of us think of the Ten Commandments as noble sentiments from simpler days, worthy but naive concepts we left behind in Sunday school. Funny how the older you get especially if you have children the ideas you once dismissed or forgot about turn out to be the most important ones of all. -- Rod Dreher is a Dallas Morning News editorial columnist. His e-mail address is rdreher@dallasnews.com

jambo: thanx, but where did I post my philosophy of Scouting?

When I read the second article, it doesn't sound so bad. Still, one wonders why they can't teach Arabic kids in regular schools, but put them through ESL classes, like we do other non-English speaking kids. As far as I know, we don't have separate schools for Polish kids, or Sudanese kids, or Honduran kids -- they all go the same schools and we teach them English. Why should Arabic-speaking kids be treated any differently? (by the way, "zero" wasn't invented by an Arabic mathematician -- they borrowed the concept from the Hindus who discivered it earlier; this is according to a DVD of Islam that I was watching last nite: "Islam: Empire of Faith", produced by PBS in 2000)

I must admit I was taken in by teh headline of the posted article; here is a less incendiary, more objective report, also from the NY Sun: ===== New Brooklyn School To Offer Middle East Studies BY SARAH GARLAND - Staff Reporter of the Sun March 7, 2007 A new public secondary school that is to include Middle Eastern studies in its curriculum will focus on culture, not the region's political conflicts, Department of Education officials said yesterday. "The school will not be a vehicle for political ideology," a Department of Education spokesman, David Cantor, said of the Khalil Gibran International Academy, due to open this September in Brooklyn. As for the sorts of topics the school will cover, the CEO of the Office of New Schools, Garth Harries, gave as an example a math lesson plan that would mention that an Arabic mathematician invented the concept of zero. "It's going to follow Department of Education regulations," the director of the Arab-American Family Support Center, Lena Alhusseini, who helped design the school, said. "It's going to be exactly like all the schools in the city, the same curriculum." The school's focus on the Middle East has some critics, including a New York City education historian, Diane Ravitch, worried about the political bent of the school. "It is not the job of the public schools to teach each ethnic group about its history," she said. "Certainly the large high schools should teach Arabic along with other languages, and they should teach the history of the Middle East as they teach global history. But it is an abdication of the basic principle behind public education to set up separate schools to teach uncritically one history and one culture." The vice chairman of Brooklyn's Republican Party, John Ali-Habib, a member of the school's planning committee, defended the school. "There's an Asian school opening in Flushing. It's the same thing," he said. "We don't need to get politics involved in everything." Khalil Gibran (18831931) was a Lebanese poet born to Maronite Christians who is famous for "The Prophet," a book about love and the meaning of life that was banned in Egypt until 1999. The school will teach about political conflicts but in a relatively abstract way through programming on conflict resolution and diversity run by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. Tanenbaum's executive vice president, Joyce Dubensky, gave an example of a curriculum based around the story of a pastor and an imam in Nigeria who set out to kill one another over religious differences, but change their minds after studying their respective faiths. "I don't think that the school is a political school, and so we're not dealing with that," Ms. Dubensky said. The committee that designed the school included the principal, Debbie Almontaser, a former teacher, and several nonprofit groups, including Lutheran Medical Center, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Salaam Club of New York, and the Arab American Family Support Center, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that will act as the main support organization. The organization's top funders include the U.S. government, the American Jewish World Service, and the Christian Children's Fund. The group's coordinator for Khalil Gibran, Candiece Goodall, described the establishment of the school as "a way to bridge both East and West." The new school lacks a home, although department officials said they would identify a location in Brooklyn within two weeks. Even without a building, many Arab New Yorkers are saying the plan to open Khalil Gibran is making them feel more at home in the city. "It's not uncommon for Arab students to feel isolated I think it's seen as a foothold," a Brooklyn College professor, Moustafa Bayoumi, author of a forthcoming book about Arab youth in post-September 11 Brooklyn called "How Does It Feel To Be A Problem," said. While Khalil Gibran's organizers say the school's main focus is academic, they also said the school could help to integrate Arab families into New York society by providing the school community with health services, counseling, youth leadership development, and English as a second language classes for parents. At the same time, the school's designers say they are planning to recruit a diverse student body, with a goal that half be Arabic native speakers. Ms. Almontaser, who emigrated from Yemen at age 3, declined to speak about the school before its location is announced. But in a first-person article published in the Gotham Gazette, in which she discussed the difficulties of wearing her hijab in the city after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and her fears for her son, who joined the American military and served at ground zero, she wrote: "We need to come together as a community to be educated and educate others as you would children: There are people who do bad things, but there are many people who do good things. We must get to know each other by speaking to one another. We need to make sure that everyone's voice is heard rather than silenced, to overcome our fears."

Nature: Kids' last-minute summer fun http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0816_o_brotmanaug16,1,4695732.column http://tinyurl.com/ynv36m Barbara Brotman August 16, 2007 Ah, the sounds of August. Buzzing bees, chirping birds and a plaintive youthful cry: "There's nothing to do. I'm bored!" Add the grinding of parental teeth and the sounds of rending garments by nature lovers. Nothing to do? With a world of summer outside? But here's the good news. This is the ideal time of year to take a whack at what Richard Louv diagnosed as rampant "nature deficit disorder" in children in his 2005 book, "Last Child in the Woods." Nature has less competition now. Summer camp is over. School has not begun. Kids have time on their hands. Why shouldn't they use it to get their hands on a cricket or frog? But how exactly does the urban parent, maybe with a touch of NDD himself, introduce a child to the outdoors? Once you go outside with your child, what exactly are you supposed to do there? Luckily, the answer is something we can all handle: Nothing much. "[be] as simple as possible," suggested Melinda Pruett-Jones, executive director of the Chicago Wilderness coalition, which in June launched a Leave No Child Inside campaign to encourage parents to take their children out into nature. "Start with the familiar -- the garden, the woods behind your church, the commons in your neighborhood, the big open area behind your school. Let your children direct the activity. ... They might pick up a couple of sticks and start building a fort. They may pick up a fallen log and look under it." A parent can then ask some questions: "What do you see under there? What does that mud feel like between your toes?" Pruett-Jones said: "It's so simple, and it doesn't have to involve fancy, expensive equipment. It can just be a walk to school together." No special knowledge is required, said Jan Little, assistant director of education at The Morton Arboretum. "We turn nature into a museum thing, and it's not. It's our world; we are part of nature," she said. "It's really just going on an adventure and letting that adventure happen." Rely on your memories of what you used to do outside, suggested Katherine Johnson, children's garden manager at the arboretum. Search with your children for a four-leaf clover. Show your children how you used to put a dandelion flower or buttercup under someone's chin to show whether or not they liked butter. My own favorite outdoor memory is of the time our nanny took me and my sister to visit a nearby woods. I'm not sure what really happened, but I emerged ecstatically certain that I had met the Three Bears. I have been unable to produce Mama, Papa and Baby Bear for my own children, to their dismay. Still, we have had lovely outings involving no more than digging in dirt with a stick. And while I can't teach them how to fish, I have tried to pass on my own special humble outdoors skill -- tightening a blade of grass between my pressed-together thumbs and making a loud whistle by blowing, using the grass as a reed. If you're really flummoxed at the thought of taking your children outdoors, there are plenty of family-friendly nature programs to give you a start. The Chicago Park District offers bird walks, prairie strolls and a Toddlers Tunes & Turtles series at parks around the city. "Come with us; we'll show you how to do it. Then hopefully you'll come back on your own," said Peggy Stewart, manager of outdoor and environmental education for the park district. But the most important thing you can do, in Johnson's view, is also the easiest: Go outside yourself. "For parents who spend all their time indoors to say, 'You kids go outside,' that will not work," she said. "You have to go outside and you have to model enjoying it." I am happy to oblige, including on vacation. Although this goes against the low-key focus of Leave No Child Inside, I have found that a wilderness trip to someplace exotic has a powerful effect that lasts for years. But the small outings never lost their appeal, even for my almost-grown girls. The 16-year-old and I recently spent an enchanting hour trying to catch frogs near Beverly Lake. And my 18-year-old and I had a lovely time wandering along the peaceful Humboldt Park lagoon, watching ducks and talking about life. The beautiful thing about spending time with children outdoors is that it incorporates their favorite thing in the world -- you spending time with them. Add some neat-looking rocks, a few butterflies and a blade of grass, and you'll all wish school didn't start till October. Need ideas? Try your local forest preserve, or go to kidsoutside.info. More structured programs can be found at chicagoparkdistrict.com. -- bbrotman@tribune.com

The link in the original article is wrong: it should be: http://stopthemadrassa.wordpress.com/ In any event, I admit this post isn't directly Scouting-related. But I think it is relevant to some of the discussions we've had in this Forum re: religious freedom and public support (via taxes) of religion. And admittedly, this is an opinion piece. If others can find objective news articles about the situation, please post them. Finally, if, in the moderators' view, this is simply too far afield of actual Scouting relevance, then by all means close or delete the thread.

Where Is The ACLU? http://www.nysun.com/article/60520 By ALICIA COLON August 15, 2007 Now that Dhabah aka Debbie Almontaser has resigned as the principal-designate of the Khalil Gibran International Academy and has been replaced by a Jewish woman, Danielle Salzberg, some assume the opposition to the school itself is over. That supposition would be false. Commenting on the new principal, the Stop Madrassa Community Coalition released this statement: "Salzberg is completely implicated in Almontaser's radical designs for KGIA. She should be permitted to return to New Visions to work on other schools, and KGIA should not open in September." The demand for information from the Department of Education continues. The big question is why isn't the ACLU involved in this issue? The last I heard, this legal civil liberty organization was seeking removal of a cross in a Louisiana courtroom and threatening a lawsuit in Connecticut because a public school was using a cathedral for its commencement ceremony. Meanwhile New York has created an Arabic public school which has several religious clerics on the advisory board. That's as incongruous as if the city had established a Gaelic school with Cardinal Egan on the Board. The New York Sun has been reporting the existence of this school since March 16th when our education columnist Andrew Wolf wrote, "The city's Department of Education is wrong in establishing any school that focuses exclusively on one culture." In April, Daniel Pipes warned that a Madrassa was growing in Brooklyn and by the time my May column calling it a monstrous idea appeared, a grassroots community group seeking to end this project was formed. Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition sent a Freedom of Information Law request to the governor and the mayor. One of the representatives, Sara Springer, went on the "Hannity & Colmes" program to explain that the DOE had not responded to requests for information on the proposed curricula or why the school has a religious advisory board. Another panelist on the cable show was Hussein Ibish, executive director of the Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab-American Leadership, who supports the school and asserted that the coalition's Web site, www.stopmadrassa.wordpress.com, was filled with bigotry and hatred. In her resignation, Ms. Almontaser said the critics' "intolerant and hateful tone has come to frighten some of the parents and incoming parents." It's so easy to toss that word, "hate" when confronted by opposition to one's agenda but I found nothing on that Web site or in any of the critics' (who include Diane Ravitch and Randi Weingarten) statements that compares to the fury of supporters of the school. Once my column was quoted by the New York Times, I received what can only be described as evil correspondence condemning me in vivid detail to the same fate as certain Holocaust victims. It certainly made me wonder what kind of person still reads the New York Times. Reuters also accused me of inflaming Islamophobia. That was a mild curse, but Reuters is hardly a credible news source anymore since they were once again caught using fake photographs to illustrate their news. All parties agree that we do need more Arab language instruction, if only for our national security. When I was in high school during the Cold War, our school offered Russian as an after-school program. Ms. Springer told me, "Students should take languages as electives. Our American way of life, principles, and Constitution cannot be allowed to dissolve in multiculturalism and sensitivity training." The question is, where is the ACLU? If a cross is anywhere to be found on public property, the ACLU will file a case to have it removed. Yet, clearly, this zeal is nonexistent when it involves Islam. The University of Michigan-Dearborn is spending $25,000 to build footbaths for Muslim students. In San Diego, an experimental school, Carver Elementary, has morphed into one with accommodations for Muslim prayers and dietary needs not previously made for Christian and Jewish students. In San Francisco, the Bryon Union School District held a three week "How to be a Muslim" program wherein students prayed to Allah and took Islamic names. When the case was taken to court, the liberal Ninth Circuit ruled for the school. Perhaps the ACLU requires someone to initiate the complaint and atheists only seem interested in targeting Christian artifacts. Exactly what is it about the religion of peace that makes it immune from litigious nonbelievers?

As a UC, I feel we should set the example for other Scouters, so I wear a full uniform to every Scout function (including a tie of some sort, usually a bolo or my WB beads, but sometimes with my WB necker & woggle, if a formal ocassion). I usually wear my Commissioner cap if I'm performing a UC or other district function. On campouts, I wear the full uniform including shorts & green sox; I never take my WB beads on a campout (did once and lost them). I wear the trooop hat on campouts. The boys in my troop kid me because I'm always in full uniform (including trips to and from a campout); but the troop meeting after a campout, we are allowed to wear Class Bs, so I wear my troop t-shirt, but still wear the official shorts or long pants. I have the zip-offs, but they are too long for me, so I wear them as shorts only, not as long pants. Sometimes, when I know I have a Scout meeting after work and won't have time to go home and change, I'll wear my BSA red activity shirt (with the FDL over the left breast) and olive drab khakis, or I'll take my uniform with me and change at the office before going. But I almost never go to a Scout function in "civvies" unless specifically requested (e.g., at the annual district Christmas party where wine or beer is served, and then with no youth present). I have been known to attend committee meetings in civvies, but if going as a UC, I'll be in uniform.

Balding Eagle: if your boys assisted with bag collection & distribution during a troop meeting, that would count towards the AOL requirement to attend a troop meeting, but it would not count toward an outdoor activity. If your boys actually assisted in going door-to-door to collect food as a den (or Pack), I'm still not sure that counts as a Boy Scout-oriented outdoor activity. Who is your unit commissioner? One of the UC's duties is to arrange for Packs to meet nearby Troops. It sounds like you've done some leg work already -- perhaps your UC can help get those other troops "off the dime" as it were. Also, if your district isn't offering a camporee anytime soon, see if another district is doing one -- you're not limited to visiting troops in your own district.

Scouts look to expand the tent: Recruiting targets immigrant youths http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/13/scouts_look_to_expand_the_tent/ http://tinyurl.com/2unvmq By Keith O'Brien, Globe Staff | August 13, 2007 LAWRENCE -- Charles Boddy thought they got it. He believed the Spanish-speaking ministers sitting before him embraced his message: that membership in the Boy Scouts would be great for Latino youths. But as he left the church that day, one minister approached him with a simple question. "What's a Scout?" The Boy Scouts of America -- even with its declining enrollment and controversial stance on banning gay scoutmasters -- is an iconic national institution dating to 1910. But as Boddy, a bilingual scouting volunteer, has learned in the two years since the Scouts launched a recruiting campaign in Lawrence, "Los Boy Scouts" does not always translate in Latino communities. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by the Scouts, many Latino families see the organization as an "Anglo" club. But with national enrollment down nearly 10 percent since 1998, the Boy Scouts are now reaching out to a community long overlooked, if not ignored, and retooling their marketing strategies to target the nation's largest and fastest growing minority: Latinos. Handbooks, advertisements, and even bumper stickers have been translated into Spanish. And though the organization is predominantly white, the Scouts are getting creative by offering soccer programs to children of immigrants from Central and South America who other wise might not think about camping, hiking, or knot-tying. The Scouts say they have no reliable national data just yet to show how this effort is going. But in Framingham, Lawrence, and other communities, the results are obvious. The Scout council in Framingham has enrolled more than 150 children, most of them Brazilian, in a year-round soccer program. In Lawrence, enrollment in traditional programs has almost quadrupled. In the last two years in this mostly Latino community, membership in scouting programs has gone from 53 to 250, primarily due to efforts, like Boddy's, to reach Spanish-speaking families. And where there were once just three Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops, there are now nine, including the newly reconstituted Troop 2, where the leaders and the children are all Latino. "We're going to start learning the Scout law and oath to get you guys prepared to be a Boy Scout in a uniform," scoutmaster Jose Nunez said last Wednesday at a Troop 2 meeting inside a hot gymnasium in Lawrence. "This over here," Nunez said, placing his hand on his uniform, "is an honor to have." At least some families agree. "We know the Boy Scouts are considered something big here in the US," said Endry Martinez, a 20-year-old Dominican woman who drove her younger brothers, Kedwin and Edwin Salazar, to a recent Troop 2 meeting. "So we figured, since we're American, it was a good idea to join." Not everyone feels the same way. Boy Scout enrollment, which peaked in the early 1970s, has been stagnant or declining for years as children have grown busier, video games have replaced outdoor activities, and the Scouts have taken stands upsetting some liberals. Since 1998 alone, Boy Scout membership has fallen 9.8 percent, from 1,023,442 to 922,836, and Cub Scout membership has dropped 21.6 percent, from 2.1 million to 1.7 million, according to Scout statistics. Tico Perez, a Cuban-American member of the Scouts' national executive board and national Hispanic task force, said the decline in numbers did not directly lead to the decision to recruit more Latinos. But it was clear, he said, that the Scouts needed to do a better job in reaching these Hispanic families. Traditionally, Perez said, children join the Scouts by one of a few routes. Membership gets passed on from father to son. Friends recruit one another -- a powerful strategy that Perez calls "boy to boy." And thirdly, scoutmasters visit schools to recruit. But what has worked historically with Anglo kids, Perez said, has not worked with Latinos. Parents often have no ties to the Scouts. A Hispanic boy who has no friends in the Scouts is not likely to be recruited by a friend. And while visits to schools may have piqued the interest of Hispanic boys, parents rarely followed up for a simple reason: the language barrier. "All the presentations were fully in English," said Perez. "All the literature was fully in English. And if you don't know who we are to begin with, you're certainly not going to come to a meeting to learn more about us." Locally, communities with growing minority populations have felt the impact of this cultural disconnect. In Framingham, the Scouts had trouble recruiting Brazilian-American children before 2006 when they introduced Soccer and Scouting, a national program that has signed up more than 15,000 youngsters nationwide. In Somerville, Boy Scout Troop 15 shut down last fall, unable to communicate with a growing Spanish-speaking population. And in Lawrence, where 67 percent of residents speak Spanish at home, the Scouts struggled to get even 1 percent of children to join in 2003 -- the lowest penetration rate of 51 other northern suburban communities. "The numbers were very powerful," said Randy Larson, the Scout executive at the Haverhill-based Yankee Clipper Council that oversees scouting in the northern suburbs. "We just had to make some changes to our approach to scouting in Lawrence." At first, Boddy, the bilingual city attorney of Lawrence who attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1978, was skeptical. "I've heard that lip service before," he said. But this time was different. Boddy spoke with Lawrence's Spanish-speaking ministers. The Scouts got permission to visit churches and hand out information on Sundays. They set up a booth at Semana Hispana, an annual Hispanic festival in Lawrence, hired two Spanish-speaking employees, and persuaded Puerto Rican Scout volunteers like Felix Soto, who lives in Wayland, to train parents to become volunteers themselves. "A lot of people don't understand the program. Some people think it's a paramilitary group," said Soto. "That's why I say we have to go to the community and talk to them." The work has made Soto, an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 173 at Hanscom Air Force Base, something of a local Latino scouting guru. Next month, when the Somerville Scouts hope to revive Troop 15, they plan to follow the Lawrence model and bring in Soto to help out. Meanwhile, families near Lawrence are discovering the Scouts and enrolling their children. "You've got to keep them busy," said Freddy Tavarez, a Dominican man and Andover resident who until recently had never heard of the Scouts. But this summer, Tavarez learned about the organization at his church, St. Mary of the Assumption in Lawrence. He signed up his sons, Narfred, 14, and Fred, 12, figuring it would be good for them, and on a recent afternoon he dropped them off at the church for their first-ever camping trip. In the shade, five new Scouts were soon discussing what they had packed for the weekend. "I brought marshmallows," Edwin Salazar announced. "You're smart," Fred Tavarez said. "Big ones or small ones?" "Big ones," Salazar replied. "Sick," his new friend said. Tavarez, half Ecuadoran, half Dominican, was speaking American slang and it required no translation. Marshmallows -- in pretty much any language -- are cool. Keith O'Brien can be reached at kobrien@globe.com --video-- Los Boy Scouts http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1137855700/bctid1138039105 --graphic-- Declining enrollment http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Graphic/2007/08/13/1187001407_5995.gif

Ride turns into a lesson for Scouts http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/082007/08122007/306461 http://tinyurl.com/3bq68g August 12, 2007 12:35 am COMMUTING sometimes offers the unexpected. Witness this encounter between the grizzled veteran commuter and the wide-eyed tourists on the VRE one sweltering summer day. I was sitting on the train at Union Station when it was invaded by a horde of Boy Scouts and their leaders. These folks were obviously not from these parts--a fact that was evident from their mannerisms as well as their dress. Out-of-towners are easy to spot: They tend to board the train and look around, as though expecting an adventure on the Orient Express. Locals tend to have bored expressions on their faces. The reaction of most commuters on the car was to clear out like villagers fleeing invading Huns. But we've been a Scouting family since the kids were young so I decided to stay. The Scout leaders were friendly but had a lot of questions. "Does this train go to Quantico?" "How many stops?" "How long does it take?" And so forth. There were the usual hi-jinks associated with spirited middle- and high-school boys, held to a dull roar by their leaders. All was uneventful until the train pulled into the dark tunnel between Union Station and L'Enfant Plaza. Then the lights went out. The locals just grunted, knowing what was in store, while the boys whooped and hollered. "Why do they do that?" the Boy Scout leader asked. "So people can sleep?" I grunted. "That's a power failure," he said. "Does that happen often?" "Yes, I'm afraid so," I replied. After sitting somewhere around Crystal City for a while, the train started moving again despite the power outage and resulting lack of air conditioning. The farther we went, the hotter we got. The locals just fanned themselves with long-suffering expressions on their faces, while the boys and their leaders--remember they're from Connecticut--wilted with the heat. "Does this usually happen?" they asked me. "No, this is the first time it's lasted this long," I said. "It's your lucky day." By the time we got to Woodbridge, I decided decorum had to give way to necessity and I stripped down to my T-shirt. This started a chain reaction; the boys--after asking permission--followed suit. While the heat was hard on everyone, the Scout leaders used their unsurpassed talents to turn misfortune into an object lesson for the boys. "Imagine what it's like for folks traveling by train in India," they said. And "Look around--do you see anyone else complaining?" when the boys started grumbling. I spent the rest of the ride talking with the Scouts about where they'd been, how long they were going to stay in Virginia, and comparing notes on Scouting here and in New England. The train pulled into Quantico half an hour late and the troops disembarked, thanking me for answering their questions and putting up with the boys, who were actually extremely well-behaved under the circumstances. Despite the heat, I was glad to make their acquaintance and would have probably missed out on some good conversation if not for the sweltering heat. As an added bonus, midway through the ride the conductors passed out free-ride tickets. One of the boys came timidly over to me before getting off the train. "Sir, we're going home soon," he said. "We have no need of these. Are you a regular passenger?" I was about the last commuter in the car, and the boys showered me with enough tickets for a weeks' worth of rides. Christopher Tripp of Spotsylvania County commutes to Rockville, Md. Write him c/o Commuter Crossroads, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401. Or e-mail newsroom@freelance star.com

Is this really what girls are made of? http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article2240410.ece http://tinyurl.com/yupgka The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls has gone top of the bestseller list. Isnt it just a blatant rip-off From The Sunday Times August 12, 2007 Rosie Millard There is a bit of a to-do about the book that has just hit the top of the nonfiction bestselling list. To its fans, The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls (Penguin) is a rather wonderful creation a nice, comforting volume of holiday-friendly activities that starts off at needlework and runs through everything girls might like to do, including a stage faint (Bend your ankles, bend your knees, and let yourself go floppy) and, naturally, how to make fairy cakes. However, to its detractors who have come out in the press, the GBGBG is not only a wholly unoriginal copycat of last years bestseller, The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden, but twee, desperate and written with a tone that flickers between faux-naivety and irony. Both books are written with a Baden-Powellesque slice of old-fashioned derring-do, but it seems that while advising boys how to tie a reef knot is good nostalgia, advising girls how to pack a snowball properly, or do French knitting, is bad nostalgia. The authors, publisher Rosemary Davidson, an editorial director at Random House, and journalist Sarah Vine, a beauty editor, are a bit bemused by all the fuss. The accusation of retro irony is probably all my fault, says Vine, 40. I was aiming at girls aged between eight and 12, and felt there were lots of things I wanted to talk about, but couldnt. Indeed the GBGBG, illustrated with winsome pen-and-ink sketches of girls gathering posies and popping their dollies on swings is very wholesome indeed. No, we didnt include anything in there like bras or periods, says Vine, who has a two-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter. It was meant to be the sort of book filled with fun things to do, which takes you out of your mad, modern living. But the girls aged 8-12 that I know rather like mad, modern living, I suggest. Their bookshelves are full of knowing volumes by the likes of Jacqueline Wilson who includes story lines about divorce, childcare issues and alcoholism in her bestsellers, not to mention families on the run. The Brownie pack I help with is full of bright girls who are just as interested in rude jokes as they are in playing sleeping lions. Sleeping lions is in the GBGBG, but no rude jokes. I wanted to put in more grown-up things, counters Vine, but Penguin wanted it to be nostalgic and uncomplicated. And pretty aspirational too, it seems, with chapters about owning your own pony and an introduction to Burmese pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi and the nine daughters of Zeus. Surely the market aimed at is pushy middle-class mothers not the average 10-year-old who might prefer to know more about the outrageous Louise Rennison (creator of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging) than Virginia Woolf (creator of Mrs Dalloway). Well, you write about what you are able to write about. I wouldnt dream of patronising a demographic that I wouldnt know, or understand, says Vine, very politely. The whole idea was to recapture some of those great 1950s books for children to have a bit of that lost spirit of childhood. Why is the tone, though, so fey? Take the section on throwing, which begins, Its a myth that girls cant throw. Its just that boys are generally better at it because they have been practising since they were first able to pick things up. Maybe the nudge-nudge quality is because the original idea seems to have sprung from something rather close to a joke. When The Dangerous Book for Boys came out and was such a hit, says Vine, I was asked to do a spoof girls version for a newspaper, and wrote a rather silly, jolly piece including things like how to have a sulk. Thats why this book came about. Anyway, I think the writing is characterful, not anodyne. To be fair, my 10-year-old daughter has been champing at the bit to read the book since it arrived yesterday, and has already made hummus from the recipe in the cooking section. This book is not meant to be a postfeminist critique of girlhood, Vine continues. It is not politically correct, because I am not a PC person. Needlecraft is not an offence to the female sex. None of our sex is enslaved by needlecraft! Her co-author Rosemary Davidson, 42, who is also the mother of two, is as intrigued, although a bit less defensive, about why the book has caused such a kerfuffle. Im really interested in why it is being attacked in the way it is, she tells me. It is clearly a response to The Dangerous Book for Boys. However, while it is clearly okay to endorse, or celebrate macho ideals as Dangerous does I do wonder whether girls should be genderless. Glorifying boyhood is good, but it is somehow wrong to know how to make a doll. I dont think its wrong to want to make a doll. And I think knowing how to unblock a toilet [a particularly criticised section] is quite useful. Still, the fuss doesnt seem to have impeded the books ascent up the bestselling chart. What, I ask Davidson, can be next? I hear that there is a Dangerous Book for Dogs about to come out . . . I think it is a spoof, actually, she adds, reassuringly.

As usual, I'm not accurately conveying what's going on; my apologies. Our SM is happy to schedule SMCs to have those ad hoc discussions about whatever is on a Scout's mind. But when it comes to signing off on the SMC requirement for advancement purposes, those are only allowed at campouts. If a kid misses a campout even though he's otherwise met all the other requirements for advancement, he must wait another month (or however many months it takes) until he can attend the next campout to get his SMC signed-off for advancement. I should also add that, because we are a large troop (90+ boys), ASMs are allowed to do SMCs (we can do the ad hoc SMC and we can sign-off), but we are only allowed to sign-off on advancement at a campout. As I've tried to indicate (and doing a terrible job of it), it is the limitation that advancment SMCs be done at campouts, no exceptions, that I have a problem with. Thanx again for your thoughts.

Lisabob, you are correct. If I gave the impression that Scouts (or parents) want the SM to schedule a SMC at the drop of a hat, I didn't mean to, and I apologize for my limited ability to properly describe the situation. The fact is, I know of boys (not my son, but others) who've missed campouts and even though they were ready to advance, and had met all other requirements, the SM refused to conduct an advancement SMC at any time before the next troop campout a month later. To me, that just doesn't seem right, but my eyes have certainly been opened by the many fine comments here. I will say that I now understand what may possibly explain the policy (truth be told, I think the ONLY reason our policy exists is to make our boys go camping when they might otherwise not; ours is a troop that requires at least 4 of 6 campouts in order to get leadership credit). Thanx again for sharing your insights on this -- as usual, I wasn't seeing it from every point of view.

Navajo Boy Scouts work to establish Native emblem http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/main.asp?SectionID=35&SubSectionID=47&ArticleID=6039 http://tinyurl.com/33v7j7 Wednesday, August 08, 2007 LEUPP-A groundbreaking process is occurring on the Navajo Nation with effects that will reach youth throughout the continent for centuries to come. Nine-year-old Kinlichiinii Ashkii John of the Red House Clan, born for the Salt Clan, his two sisters and parents are working to establish the first Boy Scouts of America Native American Religious Emblem. Since its official genesis in 1910, the Boy Scouts of American (BSA) has adopted the religious symbols of 35 religious groups to encourage members to grow stronger in their faith. These religions vary in diversity and include Baptist, Roman Catholic, Hindu, African Methodist Episcopal Church, Baha'i, and Meher Baba (to name just a few). However, nothing to signify a Native American religion has ever been included. Kinlichiinnii's mother, Melvina "Mel" explained that when it became time for the other scouts to earn their religious emblem, "Kin" was excited to join the ranks and earn a religious emblem by demonstrating his religious devotion. "He began to research the process in earning a religious emblem and discovered there wasn't one for his religion," Mel said. Many Native Boy Scouts who are not members of a BSA-recognized religion go to the nearest church, go through that religion's preparatory manuals, then receive a signature from the resident minister or priest, Mel explained. "He and his dad talked about it and Kin decided that he just wouldn't feel right doing that," Mel said. "It would feel weird that I would learn a different faith that I didn't know," Kin explained. "He said, 'mom, when do we start the processes to get a religious emblem? Have we looked into it?' So we started inquiring about establishing a religious emblem for Hataali Association of the Din Nation, Azee Bee Nagh of the Din Nation and the Native American Church of North America. We found that there was no workbook and no steps in place for us," Mel said. "Kin felt that there was no point in getting close to a faith he wasn't raised in. We respect the other religions, but we don't know that way." BSA explains that the religious emblem is designed to encourage members to grow stronger in their faith and as Mel discussed, "closer to their God." The BSA writes: "A Scout is reverent. He is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion." BSA does not design any of the religious emblems or the accompanying workbooks. These responsibilities are given to the respected members of each religion. Thus, the John family is currently seeking the advice of all Native American Church members, officers, roadmen, spiritual leaders and hatathliis as well as Din Nation political officials and BSA leaders. "We're starting from the ground up," Mel said. "We went straight to the Navajo Nation President's Office and talked to the front desk attendant. So we started with the grassroots. But there are so many protocols that everything is moving kind of slow." Kin and his family held their first local meeting to discuss the series of steps outlined by BSA in designing the religious emblem study program and award Aug. 1 at the Leupp Chapter House. With his own money Kin purchased a sheep to be butchered and served to his guests. Several traditional foods were served including corn and fry bread and local businesses including the Winslow Safeway and Winslow Basha's donated items in support of Kin's mission. Numerous Native American Church members attended the daylong event to share their opinions of the tenets necessary in the BSA Native American Church program and emblem. Beverly Smith, Mel's sister, and the secretary of the Azee Bee Nagh of the Din Nation (ABNDN), explained that the most important element discussed at the meeting was learning the Din language. "Language was definitely the number one concern," Smith said. "They also mentioned teaching patience, respect, character and the traditional expectations of a hunter, a leader and family man. Some wanted to include teachings in both Western and Navajo Ways." "The main focus would be to get these boys closer to their faith," Mel said. "For example, there is the tipi and the tipi poles. They need to know-what is the reason for this meeting? How do you pick the tipi grounds? How do you pick the tipi poles? And inside the tipi, how everything is structured, how everything is set up." "This is one way for Navajo kids to learn about the traditions-to learn in Navajo to say their name, their four clans, about sand paintings-their significance, and when they ask, 'Why can't I step on it?' they know the reason why. This is another avenue, another opportunity for boys to learn about their faith." Mel explained that several levels of learning would most likely be included in the religious program dependent upon the scout's age. Incorporating Din culture and Native American Church elements into Boy Scouts might be a way to instigate and maintain boys' interest in their culture. "Maybe we'll get medicine men out of this. This is leadership, character building and something that will help our people survive," Mel said. "One of the leaders might say, 'Why don't you learn a protection song, go fetch water, get some wood. Our boys think of our sacraments, our teachings in the same sense that Catholic boys would think of going to church and communion." Smith's son, Naakaii Nalaheh Smith is six years old and preparing to begin his first year as a Cub Scout. Naakaii has participated in Native American Church ceremonies since he was two. "He knows what sacraments are in the Native American Church," Beverly said. "It's important for me for him to know his religion." ABNDN Board of Directors member Richard Monroe and officer Carlos Begay expressed great support of Kin's efforts to design a Native American Church program and emblems. "When I was young I was a Boy Scout and didn't have the chance to get this badge," Begay said. "I think it's important for boys to learn their traditional ways, their language, to respect nature and respect their spirituality." Linda Burns, administrative assistant for David Richardson, BSA Religion Commission Advisor, said the BSA is in full support of the Native American Church award programs and emblems. "We're very supportive," Burns said. "When a group gets together and decides they want to do this, we're here to support them and help them." Beverly and Mel explained that various divisions of the Native American Church exist throughout North America and that Kin hopes to invite all members into the planning process. The Hataali Association of the Din Nation and Azee Bee Nagh of the Din Nation are local, Din segments of the Native American Church (NAC) of North America. Multiple NAC segments are currently active, and could join the movement to establish a nationwide symbol for the NAC. "When the question came up of should we do this just for the kids in the Navajo Nation, I think it really hit home for Kin," Mel said. "He said, 'if we're going to do all this work, I want to add that other part. If no one has done it for 75-plus years for other boys, no one is going to do it.' I'm glad that my son has reached deep into it for millions of other little boys. We've visited so many medicine men's homes, many road men...the sacrifice this little guy makes is amazing, but I tell him, 'if you're going to be a leader this is what you have to do.'" In order to establish the religious emblems and programs for the Native American Church, at least 25 separate Boy Scout units need to join the movement. Thus the families and local NAC, ABNDN members are attempting to share their plight with as many NAC members across the country as possible. Their next planning meeting will be held from Noon to 5 p.m. (MST), Monday, Aug. 13, at Leupp Chapter House. For more information or to pledge support call Mel at (225) 505-2894 or email her at floridanavajo@juno.com. Beverly can be reached at (928) 526-5345. All members and affiliates of the Din Hataalii Assoc. of Din Nation, ABNDN, NAC of North America, and Boy Scouts of America are encouraged to attend the facilitation meeting to create requirements and the religious emblem for young Native American boys participating in Boy Scouts of America. Medicine men, medicine women, participants, members, officers, Board of Directors, Executive Officers, and community members are encouraged to attend. Lunch will be served at Noon. Additional information about ABNDN can be found at http://abndn.com/index.htm

Green Sense: Care for nature by enjoying it with your kids http://www.townonline.com/reading/opinion/x1663151894 http://tinyurl.com/33aasg By Michele Mini/Columnist GateHouse News Service Fri Aug 10, 2007, 05:50 PM EDT We are surrounded by news about global warming and environmental devastation. It is difficult for adults to sort out the facts and decide what to do about it. Our children are also bombarded by this same news and may be frightened and overwhelmed. What can we do to help them understand the problems and prepare to deal with them? Environmentalists are not usually drawn to their work out of fear, but instead are often motivated by respect for and love of the natural world. This is supported by a handful of studies analyzed by Louise Chawla of Kentucky State University for her article, Childrens Concern for the Natural Environment, in Childrens Environment Quarterly. She found that most environmentalists attributed their commitment to the environment to two sources: many hours spent outdoors in a keenly remembered wild or semi-wild place in childhood or adolescence, and an adult who taught respect for nature. This finding can take some of the fear out of our responsibility as educators and parents. Answering the tough questions about global warming can begin with something as simple as taking time together to interact one-on-one with nature. Educator David Sobel suggests that real contact with nature fosters environmental awareness and empowers children who may be scared by the dire news they hear and see. In his book Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education, he suggests we nurture in our children a sense of wonder of the natural world that will set the foundation for a lifetime of respecting nature. Summer provides many opportunities for this education. Simply taking a walk in the neighborhood on a bug hunt or bird watch can help to focus a child on the joy and wonder of local nature. The Web site www.greenhour.org, sponsored by the National Wildlife Foundation, provides simple ideas for giving your children a Green Hour every day. Make a trip to a pond or seashore and prepare with one of several kid-friendly guides to the creatures and plants you will likely encounter. Peterson First Guides, condensed versions of the famous field guides, are ideal for children. They include such titles as Fishes, Birds, Seashores, Wildflowers, and Butterflies and Moths. Many of these titles can be found and reserved online through the Reading Public Library at www.noblenet.org. We are also in the heart of the harvest season in New England, making it the perfect time of year to spend time in a garden or visit a farm and learn how our food grows. To examine a bee pollinating a flower that will become a squash or a juicy tomato, and marveling at their inextricable relationship up close, can help a child develop a vital and real connection to nature. When they hear news about declining bee populations, they may not turn away from the issue in fear and anxiety, but may instead use their knowledge and interest in bees and nature to analyze and contribute to solving the problem. At Drumlin Farm, a 232-acre farm and wildlife sanctuary in Lincoln, managed by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, families can explore a real working farm and get hands-on experience in a learning garden. There are also wildlife exhibits and hiking opportunities. Through the Reading Public Library, residents can reserve a Massachusetts Audubon Society pass that entitles families to a $1 admission fee per person. Passes can be reserved online with a library card number and PIN and then picked up at the circulation desk. Educating our children about the environment in this manner has many benefits, including spending some wonderful quality time together. Enjoy the summer and enjoy these special moments. Some more resources and additional information: http://www.climateclassroom.org provides tips for talking to children at all different ages about global warming. Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education by David Sobel. -- Michele Mini is a member of the Reading Advisory Committee for Cities for Climate Protection (ACCCP).