fgoodwin

Thanx for the support -- of course, you're only hearing my side, and if my SM were here, he'd almost certainly see things differently. In any event, my fear is that enforcement for the next violation may come in the form of my removal as ASM (after all, I serve at the pleasure of the SM), or complete dismissal from the Troop. In itself, that wouldn't bother me (much), as long as they don't also boot my son out (a Star Scout, close to Life) because he really enjoys the troop.

Our troop recently implemented an unwritten and unannounced policy that "all troop" email must go through the SM. Email from any individual in the troop (other than the SM), to the entire troop, is not allowed. Allegedly, this is to prevent email abuse, spam, etc. Its not clear that email from an individual to another individual (or group of individuals) is allowed, and if so, how large a group is considered OK; for example, is email from an individual to a group of (one less than the entire troop) allowed? I don't know, but probably not. Is email from one person to another (or two or three) allowed? Again, I don't know for sure, but probably is. I have no idea where the line is drawn between "all or none". You might ask how I found out about this policy if its both unwritten and unannounced -- of course, because I didn't know of the policy, I ran afoul of it when I sent a group message to all. Do your troops have a policy (written or otherwise) on troop email?

Another great resource is Mike Walton's Uniform & Insignia page: http://www.infinetivity.com/~blkeagle/insignia.htm

L.I.'s oldest Girl Scout http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18144330 By NANCY HILER March 29, 2007 The first time Florence Meiselbach raised her hand to take the Girl Scout Promise in 1925, little did she know that more than 80 years later she would still be living up to its pledge of service to God, country and other people. The 94-year-old Bellmore resident -- just a year younger than Girl Scouting itself, which celebrates it 95th anniversary this month -- is believed to be the oldest Girl Scout on Long Island, according to Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Beyond that, it's conceivable that Meiselbach may be the oldest in the state or even the nation, but that doesn't particularly interest her. What does interest her is pretty much everything else that has to do with Girl Scouts. After about a dozen years as a very industrious Girl Scout herself during her youth (she earned dozens of merit badges), Meiselbach became a troop leader in the 1940s for her two daughters, and for one of her granddaughters in the 1970s. She has kept her membership in the organization current ever since. "It's a way of life," she said. "Becoming a Girl Scout is the best thing a girl can do. I tell them if they want a full life, join the Girl Scouts. There's no better way. It teaches them good citizenship, responsibility and respect." Get Meiselbach talking about the Girl Scouts and she will take out a thick photo album devoted to her years in scouting. She will point out who most of the people are in each picture or talk about the various events captured in the images. She will tell you about marching in parades -- "too many to count" -- all over Long Island, including Islip Terrace, where she grew up, and attending numerous scout assemblies, including some held in the auditorium of Mepham High School in the 1970s. She will recount how she went door to door selling her share of Girl Scout cookies. "We were never afraid to do that back then," Meiselbach said. "Today the parents go with the girls, or they sell the cookies outside of stores." She will also tell you how her childhood troop camped in cabins at Heckscher Park in the 1920s. "It was beautiful," she says, remembering acre upon acre of trees and wilderness. She will recall trips taken to Camp Edith Macy in Pleasantville, N.Y., named after the wife of Valentine Everit Macy, the Manhattan philanthropist who donated the land in 1926 as a training camp for scout leaders. A Time magazine article of the time noted that the camp's opening was attended by Girl Scouts of America founder Juliette Gordon Low, then-president Lou Henry Hoover, the wife of President Herbert Hoover, and then-national director Jane Deeter Rippin. At the camp's dedication, Rippin said that leadership training was needed because "We have the problem not only of helping growing girls, but of bringing to maturity a generation of women who shall not be nervous wrecks." Knife, compass, cup Meiselbach still has the original khaki uniform she wore as a girl. She will tell you that the uniform's belt originally had a knife, a compass and a collapsible cup attached. "We carved things with the knife, and used it and the compass and cup when we went camping," she explained. Stitched onto the sleeves of the military-style uniform are a many of the 25 to 30 merit badges she earned and the stripes representing years of service. She pulls another dozen or so stripes and badges from one of the pockets, saying she wishes she still had the dexterity herself or knew someone who could sew the rest of them on for her. "I loved doing badges," she enthused. She earned them for mastering such skills as cooking, nature study, arts and crafts, first aid and sewing. Meiselbach said she would have preferred that the uniform stayed the same or been less modernized over the years, as the Boy Scout uniform has. "Today I see a [scout] leader and she is wearing a T-shirt," she said. "Can you imagine? A T-shirt with a G.S. on it for Girl Scouts. And the girls wear a vest, and that's their so-called uniform. Some changes are nice, but some are not." What she believes to be nice today are the opportunities that the girls are given. "We didn't have that," she said. "Today they have more advantages. They can do anything. They have so much to look forward to." After she married Joseph Meiselbach in 1937, they moved to Bellmore in 1943, where they raised two daughters and two sons. Today she is the grandmother of 13 and great-grandmother of 21. Her daughters recently moved in with her, she said, but she still makes most of her own meals and does her own shopping. Breathing heavily after she talks for a bit and dependent on an oxygen tank sometimes at night to sleep, Meiselbach explained that she quit smoking cigarettes in 1981. Remarkably, she gave up driving just two years ago. "Too many narrow escapes," she declared. "It was getting too dangerous." Lamb Award Earlier this month, the nonagenarian was honored with the Lamb Award, a national recognition bestowed on Lutheran adults acknowledging their distinguished service to youth. A special ceremony was held at the Grace Lutheran Church in Bellmore on March 4. "It was very unexpected," Meiselbach said. "I thought they were having a little social after the Sunday service," she said of the award ceremony. "I feel very honored, humbled." She went on, "I loved working with the girls. It's amazing how they can find themselves in their accomplishments." She explained that she had seen many a girl who had little or no confidence, and really couldn't do much of anything. "They couldn't even tie their shoelaces. Then you teach them and 1, 2, 3, they learn it." Among her troops over the years, she explained, no one was allowed to say "I can't." "They had to say, 'I'll try,'" she explained, adding that she is still available to guide girls. Adamant about her decisions to quit smoking and give up driving, Meiselbach is, if anything, even more certain about another choice she has made: She will never stop being a Girl Scout. "You need me? I'm here," she said. Comments about this story? NHiler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.

NFL owners meeting: Leadership big on Boy Scouts http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_5541252 Goodell eager to lift league image By Mike Klis , Denver Post Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 03/28/2007 10:57:22 PM MDT Phoenix - After the NFL owners meetings concluded, commissioner Roger Goodell joined Broncos owner Pat Bowlen on a flight to Denver, where they will speak at a Boy Scouts-sponsored breakfast this morning. The NFL sharing the same dais with the Boy Scouts of America? Let there be no doubt, Goodell will stop at nothing to enhance the NFL's image. "I'm looking forward to it," said Goodell, who will be introduced by Bowlen as the keynote speaker at the 31st annual Sports Breakfast that will be held at Invesco Field at Mile High. "The values of the Boy Scouts are something we respect, and we use to some extent in the NFL." For the record, Goodell was never a Boy Scout. Nor, as police records show, were some of the people he governs. There were at least 35 NFL players arrested in 2006. Nine Cincinnati Bengals were arrested in the past 13 months. Tennessee cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones has had 10 run-ins with police officers since joining the NFL nearly two years ago. Despite all the recent attention paid to the NFL's bad-boy image and Goodell's revised off-field conduct policy, the NFL has been tagged with 13 more charges or arrests in March alone, including Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Arizona assistant coach Richie Anderson. Even if it's true an NFL team can't have a bunch of Boy Scouts and expect to win, the ballooned police blotter is getting a tad embarrassing. While much economic business was conducted here during the four-day owners meetings, Goodell spent almost all his time with the media dealing with questions about the league's new conduct policy, which he expects to finalize in the next month. After speaking to the Boy Scouts today, Goodell will be meeting with Jones and Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry on Tuesday with expectations of meting out discipline by April 6. The commissioner also plans to meet with troubled Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson. Goodell is certain to be judged on how he deals with those multiple offenders. "We're trying to send a message," Goodell said. "We're not trying to make an example of anybody or any one single incident. But we want to send the message we're not going to tolerate it anymore." Showmanship issue There's only so much the NFL can do about how its players behave off the field. But on it, the league continues to tighten the leash on showmanship. Know how some players make a big gain, or get a crucial first down, and celebrate by spiking the ball in the field of play? From now on, that will draw a 5-yard delay of game penalty. Spiking on touchdowns is fine. Spinning the ball to celebrate a first down is acceptable. But a spike not only causes an official to waste time retrieving the ball, it's viewed as excessive for a play that doesn't result in a score. Shot down by the 32 NFL teams, however, was a proposal to move the overtime kickoff from the 30-yard line to the 35. The idea was that by reducing the chances of a long return, the kicking team would have a better chance of at least getting one offensive series before the overtime outcome was decided. In recent years, a growing percentage of overtime games have been won by the receiving team. Too many NFL executives, though, felt moving the kickoff line was a tad gimmicky. Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com

LH: "Eagle" didn't write the script and didn't get PLC approval before hosting the COH; it was very clearly a last-second accomodation. The COH used the same script we always use; the only difference was that "Eagle" read the script, rather than the SM who normally does it. In fact, the SPL himself rarely has a role in the COH, and here we had a candidate suddenly reading a script that was handed to him. Anyway, I'm trying not to harp on "Eagle's" communication MB -- his counselor signed-off, so there's nothing anyone can do. My concern is the next Scout who wants *me* to sign-off by whining: "So-and-so got to read a script at the last COH to satisfy his requirement, why can't I?". Like I said, the only thing I can tell him is, its none of his business how "Eagle" did it, *you* will follow the rules. Any boy put in that position would naturally feel a double-standard at work; wouldn't you?

Boy Scout project a symbol of faith http://www.newstrib.com/display.asp?article=85455C93C316911EA1EBD4681C7DBCA8FA57FBCD5E29D5EB http://tinyurl.com/yum7lj Wednesday, March 14, 2007 By Brock Cooper mndotant@theramp.net A local Boy Scout has braved bitter cold and harsh winds to erect an unwavering symbol of faith in a La Salle cemetery. Eric Hallen of La Salle placed a 16-foot-tall cross with a statue of Jesus in St. Hyacinth Cemetery as his service project to become an Eagle Scout. Planning for the project began in late summer after Deacon Charles Burgess mentioned the cemetery had no overt signs of Christianity identifying it as a Catholic cemetery. It was during the planning phase that Hallen found out a 15-by-22 plot that had been saved for a shrine garden in 1964. We are extremely happy, Hallens mother, Sue, said. Eric has worked many, many hours on the project. Hallen, with the help of his brother, Greg, a landscape architecture student at the University of Illinois, designed a 16-foot crucifix that included a Cedar cross, fiberglass statue of Jesus and stone base. Hallen, a member of Oglesby Troop 0715, had hoped to begin construction in February, but cold weather hampered his efforts and he was only able to begin the project about 10 days ago. Ive come out here pretty much every day since then, Hallen said. When he first arrived, the ground was frozen 18 inches and he had to use a power auger to dig a hole for the cross. He then had to dig the hole for the base, but Hallen needed a way to thaw the ground. Initially, we tried melting it with salt and a blow torch, but that didnt work so well, Hallen said. He ended up putting a tent around the work area and used a propane heater to thaw the ground so he could begin the base. Hallen not only faced the elements in his quest to erect the crucifix, but also a time crunch. He needed to have the project completed by his 18th birthday, which is Sunday. Hallen has spent 3-4 hours during the week and more than eight hours on Saturday. In a few more hours, well be done, Hallen said Tuesday afternoon.

LH: I counsel the Communications MB, and am keenly aware of the requirements. I don't know if the doubting Thomas knows them, but if he's been working on his, then he would be able to spot a puppet MC at a glance, and that's just what happened when Eagle was handed a pre-printed COH agenda, and told to read it to meet his requirement. It was painfully obvious to all present that Eage had nothing to do with planning or writing the agenda. He was barely able to read it with a staight face. Nick: suffice it to say, the Eagle's character (or lack thereof) has been a long-running topic of discussion, both among the adults and the Scouts. Another reason why the dad's standing in the troop gives the appearance of overshadowing other rules, requirements and considerations. JR56: agreed, the completion of a MB is between the Scout and his counselor. My issue isn't the alleged completion of the MB, per se. Its how the other boys feel about the short-cuts, and whether they will expect the same short cuts when its their turn. Beavah: thanx, I agree its best to keep the boys focused on their own advancement. Its so easy now to think of what I could or should have said at the time -- instead, I kept silent and let it go by. I still think that might've been the best course after all . . .

EAA, SWRFI Provide Texas-Sized Flying Fun For Boy Scouts http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=d59c9e20-2681-4f52-be79-b86a5b2abace http://tinyurl.com/yvr3mg Tue, 27 Mar '07 Nearly 600 Scouts Receive Young Eagles Flights They say everything is bigger in Texas... and the Experimental Aircraft Association tells ANN that applies to Young Eagles events, too. Volunteer EAA pilots -- including several from EAA's Southwest Regional Fly-In (Texas Fly-In) -- provided nearly 600 Boy Scouts with Young Eagle flights during the third annual Hondo Aviation Day and EAA Young Eagles Aviation Merit Badge weekend on Saturday, March 17. The combination campout/aviation merit badge weekend was held at SWRFI's home field, Hondo Municipal Airport... and brought participating scouts one step closer to becoming Eagle Scouts. EAA Chapter 35 Young Eagle Coordinator Brad Doppelt organized the Young Eagle flights, allowing a total of 591 scouts to receive flights in 26 airplanes. More than 906 scouts attended the program, along with help from about 100 volunteers. The scouts rotated among five different stations throughout the day, including four aviation class sessions for the merit badge requirements. Sessions included Aircraft Technology, taught by John Siemens, chief test pilot at Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp.; Aviation History, taught by retired Brig. Gen. Julius Braun, USAF; Models and Wind Tunnels, taught by NASA's Elaine Stephens; and Static Aircraft Orientation, Maj. Roch LaRocca, USAF. Aircraft on static display at the event included a Sino-Swearingen SJ30 bizjet, a Rans S-18 Stinger, and a Van's RV-9. "Our third annual Hondo Aviation Day was a great success because we surrounded ourselves with great support," said event Chairman John Latour of EAA Chapter 35. "We put together so many good people in key positions, you can't miss."

Thanx We have a large troop (75 boys chartered, about 40-50 active on any particular meeting or campout). So if one boy feels this way, I assume others do, too. I don't plan to make an issue of it. But it does seem kinda sad that the best I can say is: (1) Life isn't fair; and (2) its none of your business anyway -- work on your own Eagle and don't worry about what us capricious adults may do I'm not saying that was your advice -- but I think that's how the boys will hear almost anything I have to say. So its probably best to remain silent on this one.

Upon returning from our weekend backpacking campout, during the conversation that teen-age boys typically have about girls, movies, school, etc., one of the boys said the troop "gave" so-and-so his Eagle, meaning in his view the troop cut corners to see that so-and-so (who was about to turn 18 and has a very influential dad in the troop, who is himself an Eagle) satisfied his Eagle requirements. I don't know how it is, but boys have an innate sense of fairness, and when corners are cut, the boys somehow will know it. In the case of the candidate, I think it was obvious to all present that he did not write and get PLC approval on the COH agenda he was reading from to satisfy his remaining Eagle MB requirement (Communications #8, plan and lead a COH or troop campfire). The troop adults allowed him to do this because his was a "special case". I bring this up, not to revisit the young man's Eagle award (the district EBOR passed him and that's that, as far as I'm concerned). My real issue is this: what do I tell that boy who knows (or suspects) that the troop made a "special case" of one boy and obviously cut corners on his behalf? The boy making the comment doesn't have an influential Eagle dad in the troop, and the difference in how the candiate was treated vs. how others are (or will be) treated may cause lingering problems. Fred Goodwin Alamo Area Council

Thanx, it never occurred to me to check the Den Chief HB.

Staying prepared http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/staying-prepared/2007/03/22/1174153249402.html http://tinyurl.com/2ntqaa Michael Duffy March 24, 2007 Baden-Powell's movement has thrived, in one form or another, for 100 years, writes Michael Duffy. THE BOY SCOUTS were formed 100 years ago this year. It has been one of the most successful international organisations, involving some 350 million people over the century, and exists today in almost every country. As with many other movements, from Christianity to Marxism, it involves a structure of fairly independent local cells linked by a strong culture based on an impressive book. In this case that is Scouting for Boys, written by founder Robert Baden-Powell. Scouting for Boys was one of the best-selling books of the first half of the 20th century, and subsequent versions in different nations have also sold well, yet they've rarely attracted the attention of reviewers. The American critic Paul Fussell regretted this when he wrote about the 1979 American version, observing that literary criticism generally ignores the fact that "a vigorous literary-moral life constantly takes place just below (sometimes above) its vision". The scouts' culture deserved attention, he thought, because it involved so many people and, here the old soldier grew a little waspish, "since the right sort of people don't know much about it". The American Official Boy Scout Handbook he considered "among the very few remaining popular repositories of something like classical ethics, deriving from Aristotle and Cicero". Scouting for Boys was first published in 1908, and a successor is used by Australian scouts today. A comparison suggests that the sort of advice considered appropriate for boys has changed dramatically. This tells us a great deal about how life has changed. Scouting for Boys is vast in scope. The knots and camp craft are there, but compared with later editions it is far more concerned with ethics and values. It reflects an era more confident about giving tough advice, perhaps more confident that boys needed such advice, and also an era when concerns about Britain's preparedness for a likely war with Germany gave scouting a rationale and impetus lacking today. Baden-Powell had fought in the Boer War and was inspired by the cadet corps formed during the Siege of Mafeking. Officials were shocked by the poor physical condition of many of those seeking to join the British Army. The book notes: "Our standard of height in the army was 5 ft 6 in in 1845; it was FOUR INCHES less in 1885." Baden-Powell sought to inspire British youth with the example of colonials, such as "the bushmen and drovers of Australia" who "can find their way anywhere, are able to read meaning from the smallest signs and foot-tracks; they know how to look after their health when far away from any doctors, are strong and plucky, and ready to face any danger, and always keen to help each other. They are accustomed to take their lives in their hands, and to fling them down without hesitation if they can help their country by doing so." Some of this was to be borne out by Australians' enthusiastic involvement in World War I. The challenge for Baden-Powell was to imbue British city children with values that grew out of a rural existence. At the beginning of the book, he suggests how any adult can form a patrol of scouts on his own initiative, buying badges, medals, patrol flags, crests and tracking irons at low rates from an address provided. The adults he calls instructors and it is their job to teach the values espoused by scouting, many of which are summarised in Baden-Powell's famous maxim: "Be prepared." For instance, in teaching first aid through role-playing, "it is a great thing to spatter the patient with blood to accustom the rescuer to the sight of it, otherwise it will often unnerve him in a real accident. Sheep's blood can be got from the butcher's shop." Instructors were later to become objects of ridicule among superior people (George Orwell once declared: "All scoutmasters are homosexuals.") But most of them have been fine individuals who have done a lot of good, not least by passing on the excellent advice contained in Scouting for Boys, which was the movement's text until World War II. There are exhortations about shooting animals only for food and the dangers of smoking. The scout smiles and whistles under all circumstances and saves every penny he can, "so that he may have money to keep himself when out of work, and thus not make himself a burden to others; or that he may have money to give away to others when they need it". (Bees, we are told in the section on insects, are a model community because they respect their queen and kill their unemployed.) Baden-Powell approved of Sherlock Holmes and explains how close observation can reveal character. There is advice on judging a man by the way he wears his hat: "If on the back of his head, he is bad at paying his debts: if worn straight on the top, he is probably honest but very dull." As for facial hair, our author confesses: "I was once accused of mistrusting men with waxed moustaches. Well, so, to a certain extent, I do. It often means vanity and sometimes drink." In the modern era, when we're more concerned with exceptions than rules, such advice would be unthinkable. But as advice for young men making their way in the hard world of Edwardian Britain, this sort of authorial confidence, often expressed with a flash of humour, must have been deeply appealing. Then there is the section on slaughtering livestock: "Cattle are generally poleaxed, or a spike is driven into the forehead with a mallet, or a shot or blank cartridge is fired into the forehead, or a big, sharp knife is driven into the spine just behind the horns, the animal's head having first been securely tied down to a cartwheel or fence." Such advice is no longer given. As might be expected, Baden-Powell had much to say about keeping yourself healthy. It is important to clear "out all dirty matter from inside your stomach, which is done by having a 'rear' daily, without fail; many people are the better for having it twice a day". He warns against self-abuse, which "brings with it weakness of heart and head and, if persisted in, idiocy and lunacy". Women are covered with three simple rules: don't lark about with a girl whom you would not like your mother or sister to see you with; don't make love to any girl unless you mean to marry her; and don't marry a girl unless you are in a position to support her and children. There's plenty of racism to be found in Scouting for Boys, though behaviour often trumps nationality and even race. Colonials are generally superior to Britons as are, regarding certain characteristics, savages and "even Japs". Baden-Powell was in favour of religion, provided it was "a practical working religion rather than a too spiritual one at first". But any religion would do: "When you meet a boy of a different religion from your own, you should not be hostile to him but recognise that he is like a soldier in your own army, though in a different uniform." The scouting movement was something of a precursor of the League of Nations and the United Nations, with its emphasis on the equality of people from all nations, provided they accepted its values and its frequent international jamborees. The modern reader is struck by how often the book's appeal comes from harping on threats and fears, whether of poverty or invasion. There is, after all, no point in being prepared if there's nothing to be prepared for. In 1908 there was: "Every boy should prepare himself, by learning how to shoot and to drill, to take his share in defence of the Empire, if it should ever be attacked. If our enemies saw that we were thus prepared as a nation, they would never dare to attack, and peace would be assured ... Don't be disgraced like the young Romans, who lost the empire of their forefathers by being wishy-washy slackers without any go or patriotism in them." THE MOVEMENT outlasted the empire, of course, and is still strong around the world, with about 28 million members. As with most movements, it has shrunk in the developed world. As the dwindling membership of religions and political parties shows, people these days are not joiners. In 1970 there were about 120,000 scouts, guides, cubs and brownies in Australia. Today there's half that number. Scouting Australia chief executive Richard Miller thinks the decline has occurred because "young people have so many more options now. There's also a lack of understanding of what scouting can contribute." The main book used by Australian scouts is the Fieldbook for Australian Scouting. The new edition appeared in January, full of good advice about practical matters such as setting up camp and surviving bushfires. The fieldbook reflects modern interests, such as risk management and the environment and modern prosperity, with chapters on flying, snow activities and planning for foreign travel. The values have pretty much dropped out. Even the chapter on citizenship that adorned the previous, 1994 edition has gone. It had advice that would have benefited many adults. On giving a talk: "Never write out your talk and then read it to the troop: it looks awful." On meetings: "It is not much of a meeting if nothing is decided." Mr Miller says this information is still available for scouts elsewhere and the movement continues to be an important source of good values. Still, it's interesting to see the ebbing of values from the scouts' main text. No classical ethics here. But parents need not despair. Last year The Dangerous Book for Boys hit the stores. Written by brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden and unrelated to the scout movement, it contains some of the material that disappeared between Scouting for Boys and the fieldbook. There's nothing about risk management but plenty of inspiring stories (for example, the Battle of Thermopylae, Scott of the Antarctic) and information about the Ten Commandments, grammar, the rules of cricket and shooting, and skinning and cooking a rabbit. The advice on girls is a bit more detailed than in Baden-Powell's book. Here young men will learn that "it is important to listen" and "when you are older, flowers really do work". "Play sport of some kind," the authors urge. "It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it replaces the corpse-like pallor of the computer programmer with a ruddy glow. Honestly, this is more important than you know." Still, although it advocates courage, initiative and the knowledge of interesting stuff, even The Dangerous Book for Boys doesn't attempt to preach with the scope and certainty of Baden-Powell's book. Conservatives might regret this but I suspect it, and the pragmatic emphasis of the fieldbook, warrant quiet celebration. The ethics of Scouting for Boys have not been lost; they have been adopted by such a large proportion of society that the scouts, at least in Western nations, no longer need to preach them. If we laugh at Baden-Powell now, we do so because we can afford to, thanks in part to his success in civilising males. All this is good. As is the fact our boys no longer need be prepared for the vast range of disasters that hung over the youth of 1908. Scouting for Boys: a Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship, by Robert Baden-Powell, first edition 1908, republished 2004, Oxford University Press; The Dangerous Book for Boys, by Conn and Hal Iggulden, HarperCollins, 2006; Fieldbook for Australian Scouting, Scouts Australia, third edition, 2007.

Girl Scout Cookies: A tasty lesson in business http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/23/smbusiness/girlscout_cookies/index.htm http://tinyurl.com/yopa8x In addition to a badge, many young girl scouts are earning advanced skills in sales and marketing. By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer March 26 2007: 2:16 PM EDT NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Whether it's Thin Mints, Samoas or Do-si-dos, everyone has their favorite variety of girl scout cookie. That's partly why what started as a small service project in 1917 escalated into a $700 million business. While numbers are not yet in for this year, the girl scouts sell about 200 million boxes of cookies a year at, on average, $3.50 a box, which adds up to a big pile of dough. But the organization says the success of the cookie program is not strong sales, but rather the business lessons that the girls learn throughout the process. "This annual, voluntary activity teaches girls essential financial skills they will use their entire lives," Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, said in a statement. "Through cookie activities, girls learn how to plan, build teams, speak up, make decisions, solve problems and manage resources. These skills add up, so that ultimately, girls learn to be leaders - in their own lives - and in our communities," Cloninger said. While many sales are secured by going door to door, some girl scouts take selling to a new level with presentations, press kits, charts and posters to support their cookie program goals. Others sell strictly in bulk to employees of local businesses, but then, of course, there are also those who ask their parents to hawk the bright colored boxes to their coworkers. This year, the girl scouts developed a new method for touting their treats: a Web site, www.girlscoutcookies.org, where consumers can find out when and where to buy cookies. In addition, Girl Scout cookies have also added a presence on the social networking site, MySpace.com. Keeping up to date with the latest trends in business and learning important skills about what it takes to increase sales are fantastic lessons for young women, according to Maria Coyne, head of Key4Women, a women-owned business banking program. "And anything that gives them confidence in the way they present themselves to people is plus," Coyne said. But where does all the money go? How the cookie crumbles With every box sold, approximately 70 percent of the proceeds go to the local girl scout council to support girl scouting. Of that amount, about 12 to 17 percent goes back to the local troop, which can put that money towards a community service project, field trip or other activity of their choice. And the balance, about 30 percent off the top, goes right back to the one of the two licensed girl scout cookie bakers, ABC Bakers, a unit of Interbake Foods, and Little Brownie Bakers, although the percentage of net profit is unclear. Over time, the program has changed little. Chocolate Mints came to be called Thin Mints and trans fats have been removed from the recipe, but the formula remained the same. And that's a big reason behind the program's 90-year success. "It's iconic," a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of the USA said. "I think the boy scouts would have loved to have an idea like this," she added. Girl scout cookies are sold over the course of 4 months once a year.

According to an article in the Oct 2001 Scouting Magazine: http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0110/a-denc.html a Scout may wear the cord for the Den Chief Service Award, even after serving as a den chief. My son was given this award by the Cub Scout pack and den he served for the last year; now that he is moving on be a chaplain aide, I wanted to make sure he was wearing the cord properly. Does anyone have anything more official than this? I checked the Insignia Guide, but it is silent regarding when to wear the cord.

Books About Wilderness Survival http://www.gaelwolf.com/gaelwolf/survival_books.html Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children -- No matter what type of outdoor experiences are planned--day-trips to local parks or long wilderness treks--Tom Brown can help children and adults fully appreciate the boundless beauty of our most precious natural resources. Outdoor Survival Handbook for Kids -- An entertaining guide to serious wilderness survival techniques, written for children. Lost in the Woods/Child Survival for Parents and Teachers Kids Outdoors: Skills and Knowledge for Outdoor Adventures -- Discusses the equipment and skills needed to enjoy hiking and camping in wilderness areas. Includes related activities and projects. How to Stay Alive in the Woods -- Camping enthusiasts, hunters, and even the occasional hiker will benefit from this all-inclusive guide to the woods which offers tips on finding food, water, and shelter, and reveals fascinating secrets of the wilderness. The Outdoor Survival Handbook -- A guide to the resources and materials available in the wild and how to use them for food, shelter, warmth, and navigation. Organized by season, this book explains the essential everyday skills needed to get the most out of outdoor adventures, including fires, water, medicinal herbs, and more. An indispensable guide for everyone who ventures into the great outdoors. Outdoor Survival Skills -- Includes basic and little-known information on existing in the wilds--emphasizing camping skills, hunting and fishing, emergencies, tracking, and more. The Wilderness Survival Handbook The Complete Wilderness Training Book -- This lavishly illustrated, practical guide to outdoor adventures is packed with essential information to help readers re-learn basic skills people have forgotten over the centuries. Clear descriptions and step-by-step, full-color photographs show how to build a shelter, recognize edible and medicinal plants, obtain food, perform first aid, navigate effectively, and more. The National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide: The Classic Wilderness Guide Finding Your Way Without Map or Compass Wilderness Survival; Reference Cards North American Indian Survival Skills -- Describes methods used by various North American tribes to find food, shelter, clothing, and medicines. Camping's Forgotten Skills: Backwoods Tips from a Boundary Waters Guide The Way of the Scout: A Native American Path To Finding Spiritual Meaning In A Physical World -- The bestselling author of The Tracker presents 12 new stories which illustrate the advanced tracking skills taught to him by the Apache he knew as Grandfather. Brown reveals the lessons of the scout--the eyes and ears of the clan--showing how the physical skills of the ancient art of survival can lead to spiritual rewards of personal awareness and inner peace. Bush Craft; Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival

In an old thread, FOG says:I was watching "Leave it to Beaver" last night, it was the episode in which Wally joins the Boy Scouts. It appeared that the Scoutmaster was wearing a First Class badge. Also, when Beaver wanted to join, he was told that he was too young and would have to wait. I started yelling at the TV, "Why don't you tell him about Cub Scouts!" I might need a reality check.I haven't seen the episode, but according to Jerry Mathers' biography, the reason he won the part of "Beaver" is because he wore his Cub Scout uniform to his audition, and actually left the audition early to go to his den meeting!Unfortunately, Mathers never says another word about Scouting for the rest of the book. And in the show, apparently, the only mention of Scouting is the "Lonesome Beaver" episode in which Wally goes camping with his Boy Scout Troop, leaving Beaver behind.Does anyone know if Mathers finished Cub Scouts? Did he go on to join a Boy Scout troop? And was there any other mention of Scouting in the series beyond the "Lonesome Beaver" episode?

Boy Scout project evolves into friendship http://www.dailynews.com/dennismccarthy/ci_5363907 BY DENNIS MCCARTHY, Columnist Article Last Updated: 03/05/2007 11:17:41 PM PST Christopher DeVries searched the sea of blue Cub Scout shirts in the 5K run/walk portion of Sunday's Los Angeles Marathon, looking for his buddy Sam Bashe. The 12-year-old Boy Scout from Thousand Oaks had promised the 10-year-old Cub Scout with cerebral palsy that he would push him across the finish line in his wheelchair. But he was having trouble finding Sam in the crowd, and the finish line was only a mile away. A few months ago, the 14 Cub Scouts in Woodland Hills Pack 88 - all physically disabled - were only a project to Christopher - a way for him to earn his Boy Scout merit badge in disability awareness. Two Saturdays a month, he met with them at the AbilityFirst/Paul Weston Center in Woodland Hills. Spend a few hours helping them with their Cub Scout projects and earn the credits he needed for his merit badge. At least that was the plan. "We knew something special was happening when Christopher kept coming home every Saturday telling us he was really having a great time with them," said his dad, Peter. "He wound up volunteering to be their den chief, their Boy Scout mentor, which is a big commitment. "He's also starting to bring Scouts from other troops to meet them. "It's gone well beyond trying to earn a merit badge." This is exactly what he was hoping would happen when he started Troop 88 in January, says Jeff Richards, director of the Woodland Hills center that helps people with disabilities reach their full potential. It's all about inclusion, he says, getting able-bodied and disabled Scouts mingling and learning from each other. Knocking down some of those stupid stereotypes and fears. "We have 14 boys now, but next year I'm sure we'll have 30 or 40 as word spreads in the disabilities community that we're here waiting for them with open arms," Richards said. For more information on the Weston Centers programs, call Richards at (818) 884-6612, Ext. 102. Christopher found Sam with less than a mile to go Sunday, taking over pushing his wheelchair from Sam's mom, Jo. Her son had been up since 4:30 a.m., dressed and ready to go, she said. She hadn't seen him this excited since the day he got his Cub Scout shirt and cap a few months ago. "He wore them to bed, refusing to take them off," she said, laughing. "You just don't know how important something like this is, to be included. "Normal kids don't like being around Sam because he can't do what they can. He gets left out of everything. "Now he's so happy, and has something to look forward to - his Cub Scout meetings and being with Chris, his best buddy." That was them a hundred yards ahead, smiling as they crossed the finish line and had a gold medal placed around their necks. Dennis McCarthy's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. dennis.mccarthy@dailynews.com (818) 713-3749

New Book Explores the Values and Influence of Eagle Scouts New YorkThomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martins Press, announces the release of Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of Americas Eagle Scouts by Alvin Townley. This unique narrative explores the lives and character of Eagle Scouts including Bill Gates Sr., Bill Bradley, Ross Perot, Michael Bloomberg, J. W. Marriott Jr., Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Michael Dukakis, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, coach Chan Gailey, and Jim Lovell of Apollo 13. The book also explores the virtues of a Tuskegee Airman, a Vietnam War POW, a September 11 NYPD hero, a crew of Hurricane Katrina relief workers, and a host of others from every walk of life. The author, an Eagle Scout himself, spent a year traveling throughout the country, meeting these individuals, and discovering stories of courage, service, and hope that truly belong to all Americans. Commenting on Legacy of Honor, President Jimmy Carter said, These Eagle Scouts will inspire readers to become leaders in serving others, while Defense Secretary and National Eagle Scout Association President Robert Gates hailed the book as inspirational. The book is already in its sixth printing and is available online and in stores nationwide. For additional information, please visit http://www.legacyofhonor.com

We need your help in promoting a new, exciting event for ScoutParents a video competition called Our Passion for Scouting Video Contest! The video competition is designed to showcase stories from passionate Scouters from around the globe. Heres how it works. Contestants must produce and submit a one-minute video showing how passionate they are about Scouting. All video submissions will be placed online at http://www.ScoutParents.org'>http://www.ScoutParents.org for all Web site visitors to view. Please note: All contest rules and entry forms are available online at http://www.ScoutParents.org The first 75 entrants will receive two special ScoutParents T-shirts for entering the competition. The two contestants whose videos receive the most votes will win handheld GPS units. Please help us promote the competition by running an ad (available online) in your local newsletter and forwarding this email to any Scout families you know that might be interested. Thank you in advance for your help! Sincerely, ScoutParents Team

Has anyone ever used these? What do you think of them, say for use on campouts or as a gathering activity before a troop meeting? ========== Camping Challenge (Cards) ($6.95) http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Challenge-Patrick-J-Flaherty/dp/0972417842 http://tinyurl.com/22q97q by Patrick J. Flaherty (Author) Camping Challenge is a fun card game designed for anyone that likes to camp outdoors. This custom card game is targeted for the Boy Scouts of America. The game is designed to present challenges and remedies of what any camper may encounter on a outdoor camping trip. This is a great card game to include in a camper's backpack for it also includes numbering and lettering to serve as a standard card-playing deck. Examples of camping challenges and the appropriate 'counter' in this card game include First Aid, Weather, Meal Chores, Cooking, Knots, Mosquitoes, Hiking, Orienteering, Emergency, Campsite Poison Ivy - plus it includes Force Cards, and Relief Cards to add to the card playing strategies. A unique feature of this game is the inclusion of a Tornado card which (as in a real campout) stops the game. Players also can use the extra cards (included) to create their own cards. Camping Challenge is for anyone who wants a different kind of game to play at home or on their next campout. Patrick Flaherty is an active adult volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America and other youth-oriented programs. With many hours in the outdoors and numerous camping trips with his scouting sons, he has developed this unique, but fun card game. As a father of three sons (all who have achieved their Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts) Flaherty knows what kids like and the many challenges and endless fun of camping. This game reflects on several situations that campers must learn to enjoy and to safely camp.

It never ceases to amaze me how much time and energy is wasted on this discussion. In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter what the number is? I look at the number as harmless marketing fluff. All that matters to me is that my son (a Star Scout) does his best, be prepared, and hopefully, one day be awarded his Eagle. Whether that makes him part of the 5%, 2% or 30% isn't an issue to me, and I'm sure it won't be for him, either. Why is it so important to everyone else?

"Loser"? OK. If Ollie's such a loser, what does that make the 320 people who showed up and donated $160K to hear him? One of the great things about this country is that we all have the right to call those we disagree with "losers" without going to jail for it. What a country!

CAMP GUIDE: Camp Texlake gives Girl Scouts a weeklong getaway http://tinyurl.com/yswap8 Here, activities are both rustic (canoeing, riding) and modern (massage, scuba). By Pamela LeBlanc AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Saturday, February 24, 2007 Both my older sisters made trips to Camp Texlake when they were Girl Scouts in the 1970s. Me? I flunked out at the Brownie level. I was denied a week in a hot cabin. I didn't get to taste that famous Girl Scout stew made by dumping a can of soup contributed by each camper into one big pot. I didn't get to sing silly songs by the campfire, get attacked by mosquitoes or sit around all afternoon in a damp swimsuit. Until last summer. I rolled into Camp Texlake just in time for lunch: hotdogs. The Lone Star Council of the Girl Scouts runs eight week-long sessions of summer camp at this 455-acre encampment at Pace Bend on Lake Travis. Each session is targeted to different interests, from horseback riding to water skiing or caring for barnyard animals. About 1,400 girls sign up each summer. "It's really a good way to get away from mom," says 2006 camp director Jayne Van Osten, a 17-year veteran of Camp Texlake who retired after last season. "It's a special place where girls can be girls." Like other staffers here, she goes by a nickname: Tweedle. Before long, I also meet Jellybean, Tiki, Butterfly, Pepper and Moo. Camp Texlake opened in 1949. Last summer, organizers unveiled new air-conditioned cabins for the older girls and a new dining hall with picture windows that overlook Lake Travis. Campers eat off plates decorated by scouts and pound their fists on the tables during chants at the end of each meal. There are also singing sessions under the trees after lunch and dinner. Though some things are the same, the addition of air-conditioning isn't the only change. Camps of yore didn't have a high-altitude ropes course or offer cheerleading, scuba diving or competition based on the television program "Survivor." At the modern version of Texlake, kids can even sign up for a "Chill Out" session, with classes in yoga, massage, make-up and nail care. After lunch, I head to the arts and crafts cabin, where I wad up a T-shirt, wrap it in rubber bands and squeeze bottles of turquoise and pink dye over it. I have a fabulous tie-dyed shirt to show for it. Raleigh Taylor, 12, a third-year camper from Austin, likes tie-dying for just the reasons I do: "The colors are all mixed together and they're swirly and pretty and you get all messy and you work with your friends." But I'm hot, so I head down to the beach to check out the kayaks and canoes. Do you have any idea how much fun it is to sink a boat? I do. "It's fun to hang out and be in the country," Bethany Kondik, 11, of Dripping Springs, tells me as we haul our paddles up to the flatbed trailer that will carry us back toward the cabins. "And another good thing you meet new people." All this activity calls for some relaxing. Campers are allowed a couple hours of unstructured time each afternoon, so I plant myself on top of a bunk bed in Cabin D, where the older girls are staying. Emily Doran, 12, wearing a pink T-shirt, perches on a bunk wrapped in pink sheets, where a pink towel, pink backpack and pink teddy bear are carefully arranged. She roots through her suitcase, where a stack of plastic bags are neatly labeled: "Monday's Clothes," "Tuesday's Clothes," etc. She pulls out her journal, ready to write about the day's activities. But wait. No time for that now. "Emily, go clean the showers. You have to do your chores," someone hollers. Emily drags herself up. Then, a scream. "Oh my God! A huge grasshopper!" After a hoopla, someone shows up with a broom and valiantly carries the bug off. Then the rescuer returns, triumphant, declaring, "The bug is demolished." Now nine girls scurry around the cabin, sweeping, making beds, emptying trash cans. They want the tidiest cabin award. They won't get it. Across the cabin, two girls are having a discussion. "I think you watch way too much TV," one says. "It's good that you're out here." The topic turns to the difficulties of life in an air-conditioned cabin made of cedar logs. "Maybe it's just me, but I think it's better to know what it's like to not be civilized no cell phone, no air conditioner, no mall," says Julie Arnold. "If you grow up with all that, you don't get to know what it's like being in nature. I would have been just fine staying in a tent." Between talk about the pool party planned for the evening, a lot of giggling, some hair-braiding and a demonstration of how to use a hair brush as a microphone for a rock 'n' roll concert, comes a knock at the door. Mail time. Even though these girls are gone just a week, they get stacks of letters and packages. For now, though, I want to know what the little ones are doing. So I head to the Treehouses, where the Brownies are dressing in superhero costumes for the evening meal. One is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, with paper stuffed in the sleeves to make faux muscles. These cabins are elevated 15 feet above ground on cinder blocks. They are not air-conditioned. "It's hot in here at night," one girl whimpers. Victoria Taylor, 10, of Pflugerville, doesn't care. "It's Texas; expect it," she says. Then she explains why camp "rules." "There are lots of nice counselors and lots of fun things to do and there are good beds. Plus, there are no boys here," she says. Ah. This is a sentiment oft repeated. "Camp is fun because you get away from your troubles and your annoying brother," says Devynn Montoya, 11, of Pflugerville. With that, it's off to flag ceremony, a solemn lowering-of-the-flag occasion held just before dinner. Then it's a mad dash to the dining hall. Tonight, it's spaghetti, salad and garlic bread, followed by cups of vanilla ice cream. (Where's that Girl Scout stew I heard so much about?) There's another round of singing before the girls break into groups. I join the younger ones, who head to the barn, where they plan to use a couple of horses as canvases. The counselors pour neon green, pink, blue and yellow paint into trays. The girls dip their hands into the goo and smear it over the horses' flanks. The horses don't seem to mind. The next day, another group of girls will practice their equine-washing skills on the furry paintings. "I have never painted a horse before," says Mackenzie Heldstab, as though she's been cruelly deprived all of her seven years. "Touching the horse's fur felt really good and wonderful. Just to smear paint on . . ." After they help the counselors feed the horses, they return to their cabins, where they change into swimsuits for the night's pool party. Which turns out to be a sight to behold counselors in grass skirts, inflatable alligators and killer whales drifting around in the pool and dozens and dozens of squealing kids. At one point, the camp director leaps into the water, fully clothed. It's a wonder anyone has any energy left for breakfast the next morning, but they do. They just don't bother to change into clothes. Or maybe that's because this meal has been designated the official Pajama Breakfast. And apparently, fashion here doesn't dictate that you shouldn't wear cowboy boots with PJs. I just have a few hours left in my visit enough time for another trip down to the lakeside, where I swim in a cove and think about how fast the time has gone. It's like one of the campers told me earlier: "The first day you miss your parents; then you realize how much you like it and it goes fast." pleblanc@statesman.com; 445-3994 Find your way to Camp Texlake Camp Texlake, on Lake Travis outside Austin, is for girls ages 6 to 17. Eight one-week sessions are offered, starting June 3. Themes range from cooking to scuba diving, music, sailing or spa. Cost varies from $150 to $350; financial aid is available. Girls who are not registered Girl Scouts must enclose a $10 membership fee. For camp schedules and applications, go to www.girlscouts-lonestar .org. For more information, call the Lone Star Council of Girl Scouts at (512) 453-7391.

North: Scouts 'under attack' http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/13313.html Dinner raises $160,000, surpasses goal By Matt Garfield The Herald - Updated 02/23/07 - 12:59 AM The Boy Scouts are under attack by radicals who vilify them in much the same way as soldiers fighting in Iraq, Oliver North told a sold-out audience Thursday night in Rock Hill. Taking the stage to a standing ovation, the retired Marine lieutenant colonel famous for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s decried what he called the desecration of two of America's most storied institutions. "The attacks on the military are very much like the attacks against the Boy Scouts, most of it by the media and politicians," North told 320 people at the annual Pacesetter dinner put on by the York District Friends of Scouting. "Faith, freedom and our Judeo-Christian values are literally under attack." In a half-hour speech that mixed humor and personal memories with sharp criticism, North wasted little time responding to the controversy over his visit to Rock Hill. Some former Scouts have criticized the local chapter in recent days for inviting North to headline the annual fundraiser, saying his outspoken conservative views and role in Iran-Contra make him a poor choice. "It has nothing to do with politics," he said. "It has everything to do with the future of boys, this council and the country." Returning to themes he has emphasized at scouting dinners in other cities, and in some cases repeating the exact words, North drew frequent comparisons between Scouts and troops. "In all my ... years in the military, I have never seen so many so committed to their faith," he said. "Their sense of personal self-sacrifice is absolutely extraordinary. The very values the Boy Scouts instilled in them as young boys." Thanks to North's star power, local scouting leaders said they raised $160,000, surpassing their goal by $25,000. Palmetto Council President Gary Williams said 20 people called in the past two days alone wanting to attend. North wasn't the only speaker to address controversy over his visit. "Several attempts have been made over the past few days to turn scouting into something it is not," said Travis Gause, an Eagle Scout and Northwestern High School student who addressed the audience before North. "My Scoutmaster does not tell me what to believe about the hot-button issues of today. Rather, they teach me the ability to decide for myself. "Any attempt to politicize scouting is contrary to the spirit of the organization." Matt Garfield 329-4063 | mgarfield@heraldonline.com