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Here's the good news about efficacy against emerging variants: the textbook problem of designing the right mRNA sequence is partly based on the sections of viral DNA (or RNA, if we're talking retro-virus) that have been varying the least. Basically, the genes that had not been varying much are likely to be the ones that the virus can't afford to change, so new variants are likely to have targets that are still identifiable by a prepared immune system. That's the textbook theory, at least. In most ways, Cov-Sars-2 is textbook; but in others, the jury is still out. There hasn't really been any bad news about duration of immunity. It's just a matter of waiting out the trials to get an idea of how long the high level of efficiency lasts. The general thinking is that the public will be okay with an annual vaccine, especially if it's part of a flu shot. If they need something more frequently than that, we won't get the compliance we need to lower the virus reproduction number. Meanwhile the more traditional vaccines seem to be doing a decent enough job and are easy to deliver. Here at Pitt, a patch (micro-needle array) delivery system is about to go to trial. Something with modest efficiency but no needles and no need for refrigeration could be a game changer for a lot of diseases.

http://usscouts.org/mb/history.asp http://www.boyscoutimages.com/item/Master10/Master-at-Arms-1909-10 https://soldiersystems.net/2016/10/30/updated-discontinued-bsa-merit-badges-master-at-arms/ Interestingly, one of our crew's more interesting venturing meetings was a night of self-defense instruction. One of our dads founded our university's judo club, which years later fielded a lady who qualified for the US Olympic team.

The bureaucratic hurdles are the greatest. But, the truth is, although we have promising initial results from the trial participants who've been followed the longest, there's no knowledge of how long the immunity lasts. That's why the trials are ongoing and FDA approval is still a ways off.

Well, dose #2 floored me for a day so far. I was warned to be on the lookout for worse. That mRNA makes for one mean sparring partner. I've been explaining the process to scouts as I've gone through it. I want them to know what it's like, but we have a wide range of boys and some are more science-oriented than others. The two take-home lessons: Rolling out vaccines in less than two years is the equivalent of landing a man on the moon ... Titan, that is ... the one around Saturn. One day, their kids will have a math or biology assignment where they sift through the genetic codes of 8 samples of virus, find the weak link, and write out the mRNA formula needed to mount an attack. Yes, the needle is the least of the hassle. We're basically asking millions to endure a day or two of discomfort -- some will hazard allergic reaction -- so that millions more will stay out of the hospital and hundreds of thousands more live another day. How are you talking to your scouts about vaccinations?

The closest I got was telling a venturer whose troop BoR turned him down that he was welcome to make rank through my crew, but I would demand flawless execution as usual. He decided that he would do what he needed to be approved by the troop. Did the board do it's due diligence to provide the scout, in writing, the things he/she must do? That's really the first step. Are you coming at this from a district position, or as the scout's unit leader?

@The Latin Scot, I feel your pain, but I can't help laughing. At it's corps, compared to 40 years ago: We now have units with 2-4 times the number of adult leaders. We have districts the size of councils. We have councils the size of areas. Thus the awards to be given have far outstripped the number of entities awarding them. I think the spirit for a district leader recognition event is in the right place, but it should: Offer the intimacy (fellowship) that a council can't possibly offer. Be as positive toward that scouters who don't attend as those that do. Recognize regional divisions that may require nuance -- e.g., hold it in a different town each year, one year let the 1st language be Spanish, another year have youth put on a skit about their beloved SM, etc ...

Instant access to every small town news item tough on kids. Little Johnny crosses over, Mom or Dad pulls up this article and tells him, "Unlike Adam, you're going to have 80 MBs by the end of next year!" It leaves us scouters in a bind. We want to encourage our youth to go hard after their goals. But, we want parents to know that we don't measure "wins" on sashes. We work for smiles. And to that end, we want our scouts to develop unique gifts and talents. Sometimes that comes through a boatload of MBs, but sometimes it comes through digging in to one or two skills. Honestly, we esteem the 14 year old who finally earns 1st class as highly as the the 12 year old who earns eagle and 10 insta-palms. I had this discussion in an outside-of-scouting (yes it happens) meeting. A friend wants to offer "basic training" on a monthly basis to as many as possible, while I am after "deep learning" for the few willing to commit once weekly over a number of years. So, we are asking ourselves: how we pull together to support both?

A picnic? With steaks? Dutch oven pot roast? Firstly “in which all would want to attend” is an absurd goal. Scouters don’t get involved in scouting for attaboys. We are there because we see kids having fun and learning to do things for themselves ... things that may eventually forestall death. We work for smiles. So, it’s by sheer luck that any of us would block out a day away from that sheer adventure for a sit-down dinner. We had to trick my SM into attending his own Silver Beaver awarding. They has a special guest who happened to be visiting a local college as the keynote speaker. Then they told my SM that they would like his SPL (me) to lead the opening. He always would prep us for these sorts of public appearances, and come along as “moral support.” The CC then gave me the “real” script that included introducing my SM and the person who would award his bling. So, guest speaker, involve scouts, stop worrying about the scouters who miss it. Have fun.

Welcome. I just came in from a friend’s birthday party. Wired for them, maybe. Just another morning around a campfire for me,

There is no standard-issue shirt/trousers combo in GS/USA. This looks close to a Sea Scout uniform, but I think it's a Vietnamese girl scout uniform. They are members of WOSM. Here's a link to what I think is the troop's page https://chilang2279.org/ I think a scouter posted here before regarding this unit, or one very much like it. If I find that, I'll link them in.

Thanks for clipping the full text of the article. It's interesting to note that the reporters do not identify external pressures, such as NOW of NYC.

@Melgamatic, thanks for taking on a thankless job. More importantly, thanks for explaining "real world" implications for the changes. It's very helpful to have an explanation when scouters ask. I personally believe that a scout's proposal/report should sit apart from the workbook. (I've promoted plain-old-ASCII in other threads.) But, as long as we're in a world where form exceeds substance, adding pages will do.

Great announcement. Also fits in "Scouting Around the World."

It was an issue of, "What can we use by way of marketing doublespeak to avoid speaking plainly?" The plain-spoken answer would have been, "We now have girls and their parents by the thousands begging us to work our program. Either start insisting that a quality GS/USA troop inculcate a vision of the pinnacle scouting experience of hiking and camping independently with one's mates or we will have no choice but to step in and fill that void. Oh, and by the way, how would you all like to join us hosting World Scout Jamboree? Your cookie sales could launch through the roof!" But, we all were subject to decades of double-speak, and there were precious few execs who would get anywhere by speaking plainly. (Consider the convoluted excuses made for female venturers being kept from O/A or Eagle Scout or recognition by NESA for earning Silver.)

This is pretty old news. As in 60 years old. West had a chip on his shoulder over Gordon Low’s refusal the rebrand as Girl Guides. That bitter root has only grown fat. There’s no secret about executive animus between the two organizations. Many boots-on-the-ground work around executives who try to keep members of the two organizations from any collaboration.

It's always been a mix. There are precious few people who hike and camp as often as the average SM. My SM was a church organist, so he counseled me for Music. (The downside: we always returned to the scout-house by 8:30 AM Sunday.) I earned 1st Aid from a neighboring SM who was also an EMT. Dad was happy to drive me and a buddy through the countryside to his house -- which was down the street from the least expensive barber in the county. A couple of my other counselors had responsibilities as cub leaders, etc ... so being "already bothered" wasn't an issue. Adults had room for "one more boy." The crux of the problem is the modern paperwork burden. One hour a week is fine when directly working with a couple of scouts. That's 12 hours a month. But when you pile on an hour of training and an hour paper chase on average every year, and reduce hours of availability because you need to align schedules to fulfill youth protection -- it deprives volunteers of the coveted time mentoring a youth. So instead of 12 youth helped, its 8-10. On the district side, the commissioner goes from collecting a handshake and contact info to making sure a half dozen t-s are crossed and i-s dotted. So, instead of the commish and his/her buddies going around neighborhoods shaking hands with dozens of prospective adults every month, they are probably pushing paperwork for a fraction of the people who they would have on-boarded for the same effort in the past. So, instead of recruitment being a fun exercise of growing a fellowship of caring adults -- it has become an administrative hot-potato.

What do you all think about an auto-eligibility for any adult who is registered in any other position (besides MBC) and completes YPT (and whatever other state-mandated paperwork is required)? I could imagine an E-memo going out from a district inviting someone with completed paper work to take a few more steps involving watching a MBC-specific training video and filling out an online form asking which MB's they'd like to counsel. The memo could be sent to all eligible scouters or Key-Three could be sent a link to the list of eligible adults in their unit, and they could check off who should be invited to become MBCs.

I'm trying to nudge my people to path #1 because they are really capable and would enjoy helping any scout who would get sent their way. That won't happen for them until they push the paperwork (again). They seem to want path #2 because in their mind, registered, trained, and paid (to be Committee or SM/ASM, and for some once-upon-a-time MBC) is good enough for our boys. From their perspective, they don't see asking them to do more than what they've already done will help youth protection.

Sorry for the contested circumstances that lead to your moving on. But, this is a unique opportunity. It sounds like you started to work your ticket and came up against things you couldn't control. So you got some real-world experience in writing tickets! And you have an encouraging counselor. What would you like to accomplish in the next six months? What stuff did you start doing in this new position that you'd really like to give a boost? Answer those questions and you'll probably have enough ticket items for four MBC's. or 92U's. Hopefully your counselor will help you prioritize.

@scoutldr, I think that's the prevailing attitude around here. Pitts burghers aren't much for pleasantries. They aren't mean, but their sense of equality-through-work-ethic leads them to shrug off titles. All that said, my second job involved collaborating with cardiologists throughout the country. That involved a lot of phone time with receptionists. There was one in Georgia who insisted on using "Sir", but in a way that was incredibly friendly -- real southern hospitality style. I felt so good after getting off the phone with her, that I started using "Sir" and "Ma'am" in normal interactions around here in Steeler country. I only got push-back once ... a bus-driver called me out. I explained, "Ma'am, you got me through town safe and sound. For that you deserve my utmost respect." She said she'd make an exception for me, but I'd better not let it catch on. I think I only really infected Son #2 with the mannerism. It worked quite well for him.

Our council spent the year making some long needed repairs and improvements to camp facilities. They are planning to be open for the summer.

At the moment, I wouldn't consider it smart-alecky if our boys chose to do that. We have had rotated different adults into SM, and addressing the leaders as SM (first name) and ASM (last name) might help boys understand who is fulfilling what role now. However, that's just not our culture, so I take it in stride. The kids at church call me Mr (first name), and I'm good with that.

I’m a first name guy. Period. But, that’s not the culture I live in. So, if scouts are compelled to address me as Mr. Q., I try to address them as Mr./Miss. My problem at the moment is our troop is chock full of siblings, so I’m using first names more regularly.

I'm calling BS on this. At a very fundamental and traditional level, recruiting counselors is a district/council responsibility. Blame the units all you want, but this but if the council doesn't have the personnel in place to handle the additional paperwork, what makes them think units would have any more capacity? And, to be frank, for a while we had a registrar who basically chucked our unit councilors ... all fine people ... all whose YP is current ... all who are registered in other unit positions ... all who have paid to maintain their registration. Why aren't they still also registered as MBC's? Basically because we were victims of someone who didn't give a crap about their volunteers. So, why would they want to complete an application when they suspect that sooner or later someone is going to drop them from that position for no good reason? So, sure, I'll nag my fellow scouters to fill out one more form, and maybe after a year or so, they will. But if other qualified, trained, and caring unit leaders are like mine, blue cards will be pushed anyway. It's going to take a unit commissioner, with applications in hand and ready to process on-the-spot, talking as sweetly as possible to my scouters who should be MBCs.

Not sure what’s going to be worse: the long dead remaining on MBC lists or the most competent in their field being removed for lack of officiousness.