RememberSchiff

In the past, I have seen Giving Tree ornaments with various Scout items requested for a child. Now I see some units are seeking sponsors for individual scouts ahead of donations for the unit ....or maybe at the end of the day the money all goes in one pot. Saw this today about dual troops in Brookings, Oregon units .... Fundraising events are critical for sustaining the program. Funds raised, such as those from their current wreath selling effort, are directed toward maintaining their meeting hall, covering essential costs like building maintenance, new gutters, a new drain and the ever-increasing insurance fees as well as helping children join who cannot afford the fees. A core philosophy of the leadership is ensuring that financial hardship never bars a prospective Scout from joining. “We try and cover the cost, if we have any low-income scouts. We try to help them out,” Wilson emphasized. “We don't want any scout to be turned away just because they can't afford a uniform or anything.” To help potential sponsors understand the financial need, (Rachel) Wilson (Committee Chair) broke down the costs for a new Scout: • Uniform Shirt: Approximately $60.00 • Neckerchief: About $15.00 • Patches (starting numbers/badges): Between $15 and $20 • Annual Registration Fee: About $90 • Monthly Dues: $10 for the first Scout per family and $5 for each additional sibling. While the group is currently discussing implementing a formal program for sponsoring individual children, general donations are vital for their maintenance, operational costs and to help fund Scouts who may not otherwise have an opportunity to join. " Source: https://www.currypilot.com/news/dual-troops-single-mission-local-scouts-serve-community/article_df0fc6e0-ecf0-422b-8e90-6ec383732881.html

@Pack85 welcome back. We re-use uniforms, why not domains as well.

Found this on Sam Houston Area Council website: Family Troops The National Executive Board for Scouting America approved the implementation of the combined troop option. The family troop option will become available to all chartering organizations as a third option on December 15, 2025. The chartered organization must be a part of the discussion to decide to change to a family troop, and they must approve the decision to change the model. Troops will continue to be able to organize as boy troops and girl troops. Resources: Converting from a Family Troop (3 page pdf) Family Troop Best Practices (5 page pdf) Family Troop Decision Guide (5 page pdf)

After months of "piloting", an important policy change, i.e. "Coed Scouting" "family troop option" is announced and in common National fashion, the implementation details and other supporting documents are not available. There are rumors of a 5-page Best Practices PDF? Contact your Council for information! IMHO, a scout program with leadership development, outdoor adventures, and reduced membership costs grow membership. Dragnet recruiting not so much. My $0.02 or is it a nickel now?

Scouts Lawyer Seeks to ‘Shine a Light’ on Mass Tort System Flaws ..."In the Boy Scouts case, former clients of Slater Slater Schulman LLP approached Friedman, he said, after the settlement trustee said she stopped processing thousands of Slater claims for irregularities. The New York-based firm acknowledged its claims were being investigated over “procedural and factual problems.” A Delaware judge next week is scheduled to hear Friedman’s unusual request to take over some Slater clients and, more pointedly, reduce or outright deny Slater’s 40% contingency fees in the case, which he estimates could top $50 million. Slater on Thursday lashed back at Friedman, filing a response that called his motion an improper bid to interfere with their clients and “wholly untethered to any recognized legal authority.” Friedman insists he didn’t seek out the role or the clients, saying that they approached him after reading his past public criticisms about mass tort firms gaming the system. “I didn’t ask for this,” he told Bloomberg Law last week in an interview near his Stuart, Fla. home. But the lawyer sees it as a golden opportunity to go beyond talking and writing about the need for change. With clients in the case, he can actively litigate the problems he says have followed mass torts into the bankruptcy system." More at source: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/scouts-lawyer-seeks-to-shine-a-light-on-mass-tort-system-flaws

Sheesh... found this

Our government may shutdown but Kindness and Scouting does not.

I think you answered your own question I’m having trouble coming up with potential ideas for activities I could assign these scouts to do. Does anyone have any good activities or advice to solve this problem? I would add, your PL's should be assigning their respective scouts tasks as planned at PLC meeting. You as SPL should ensure your PL's are leading their scouts. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Other members here will add theirs.

Your SM has given you some meeting fallback ideas. Tell us about your PLC meetings.

Tell us more about your leadership training prior to becoming SPL. Did you attend NYLT?

@Justin307 Welcome to scouter.com. Your multiple concurrent logins before joining were unusual and temporarily classified you as a spambot. Hope you are not.

Long Island (NY) council merge. Theodore Roosevelt Council, Scouting America voted to merge with the financially-troubled Suffolk County Council, Scouting America to form - Scouting America Long Island Council Long Island Council will own and operate three Scout Camps including Schiff Scout Reservation and Onteora Scout Reservation and serve over 10,000 youth in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York. Source: interesting background drama

Recall before the membership drop, bankruptcy, covid, there was a push for all councils to publish a 5 year plan? Don't see that as much, maybe because goals were seldom met and a turn to the short term - merge and monetize. my $0.02,

Nice morning read with all quotes from the Eagle candidate. “This project has done so much for me in terms of self-improvement and motivating myself and working on stuff outside of school and pushing to get it done. This is probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me in terms of that. When it comes to my future, leadership is a big part of what I am planning to enter— Public Policy/Administration, Politics, and something where I hope to have a positive influence on the world and make it a better place.” https://thesuntimesnews.com/how-an-eagle-scout-project-benefits-the-whole-community/

After large membership losses, Aloha Council Hawaii recently announced that 238-acre Camp Honokaia and Camp Alan Faye would be placed on the open market for sale, lease or joint venture. "The decision has sparked outrage among Big Island Scouters who say they weren’t consulted." More at source: https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/10/28/big-island-scouts-fight-save-beloved-camp/

"There is limited secure on-site storage. Our instructors must drive ½ mile to get to the equipment and supplies every day and the return them each night." ??? Well if off-site is more secure? I would like to know more about the "secure storage" for this new OnTarget facility announced below. Locked room? Locked cabinet? Locked vault/safe? 24/7 alarm system? Cameras? De-leading hand washing? No mention of lead-free ammunition. Dry-fire shooting apps like Mantis , G-sight ? I am seeing more focus on "facility" than "teaching" in this proposal - reminiscent of my local school board, "The Heart of Virginia Council is planning a $1.4 million overhaul and expansion of the archery and shooting facilities at Camp T. Brady Saunders. The new facility, which will be called OnTarget, will include features like a 3D archery course with 10 stations, a shotgun teaching station, two multi-purpose instructional pavilions, a covered five-stand shotgun range, a 16-station rifle and pistol range and a 12-station archery range. The OnTarget name was provided by the $500,000 donor, Heart of Virginia Council CEO George McGovern added. " More at sources: https://hovc.org/ontarget/ https://scoutingevent.com/Download/602162447/SM/Center_for_Youth_Marksmanship_Case_Support__WEB.pdf < brief "secure storage" mentioned. https://richmondbizsense.com/2025/10/21/sprawling-goochland-boy-scouts-camp-plans-7-figure-upgrade-to-archery-and-shooting-range/

@ddavis2708 welcome tp scouter.com.

@ZebraLongwing welcome to scouter.com

Reminder, even if one has a subscription, one cannot entirely copy monetized, copyrighted articles from behind a paywall for scouter.com members. Summarize in your own words and cite source is preferred and then only quote a paragraph or two and definitely include a source link. Boy Scouts Claimants Look To Remove Slater, Citing Probe By Jeff Montgomery · Law360 (October 15, 2025, 8:23 PM EDT) --Alleging trial lawyer case aggregators at Slater Slater Schulman have "run amok" in the Boy Scouts sexual abuse case, a claimants group has moved for a bankruptcy court order terminating contingency fee legal service agreements with victims and a reduction in fees paid to the firm... For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com. More at source (requires subscription): https://www.law360.com/articles/2399912/boy-scouts-claimants-look-to-remove-slater-citing-probe @Eagle1993 @MattR

Reciting the Scout Law too fast. IMHO, there should a slight pause after each Law to reflect and change facial expression for the next Law. Serious looks for Trustworthy and Loyal, Thrifty, Clean; smiles for Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Cheerful; stern for Obedient, Brave, solemn for Reverent. We should not be spitting back the Laws like alphabet letters at a traffic stop. I like this pace. Say the Laws as Scoutmaster Oborny signs them. My $0.02,

Update, a month later Sept 7, 2025 a new Decisive : For the first time in 15 years, the Sea Scouts of Kauaʻi have a new boat with the support of the local community. The 44-foot Sport Fisher by Pacifica recently arrived at Nāwiliwili Small Boat Harbor, with a blessing held on Aug. 29. “It was real special to have Kumu Sabra (Kauka) bless the boat for our safety and future generations,” Guilligan mate Tom Worton said. “Having a bigger boat means more stability on the water, and will increase the safety for our program,” Worton said. “It will also allow us to take more kids on the longer cruises as we serve the youth of Kaua’i for future generations.” A Pacifica Sport Fisher is known for rugged construction and excellent seaworthiness. It also has the necessary interior and volume for housing teenagers, a comfortable salon and galley, and twin diesel engines. While only 4 feet longer than the Sea Scout’s current boat also called Decisive, it is much roomier with a 3-foot wider beam and twice the tonnage. The new boat will also be named after the USCGC Decisive (decommissioned) . The name also is the message the crew is trying to teach the young sailors: “To be Decisive.” The Sea Scouts' former Decisive will be sold . Source with photos and audio: https://kauainownews.com/2025/09/07/new-boat-for-kauaʻi-sea-scouts-arrives-at-nawiliwili-harbor/

Dover Troop 67 Scoutmaster, Kevin Myers, said, “He was a scout always, long before he was you know, before he was in the Army, before he was a policeman. He was an Eagle Scout as a youth. And I really think that the scout law just translates into living a life of service and Mark’s entire life with serving others.” Scout Salute and farewell.

Update Sep 17, 2025: For its 13th year, Scout leaders have set up shop in the Waterville (Maine)Goodwill to collect and distribute partially used uniforms for scouts in need. The donated uniforms are cleaned and have all patches removed, giving any aspiring scouts a clean slate to start their scouting journey. According to Goodwill Leadership, the Waterville Goodwill collects uniforms all year for this event. Kennebec Valley Uniform Bank coordinator, Chris Bernier, says the drive helps eliminate the cost of scouting for a lot of families. "It helps kids who can't afford get their uniforms. It helps them feel included," says Chris Bernier, Kennebec Valley Uniform Bank coordinator, "Especially next to families who can afford a uniform, and we want to make sure everybody feels included in this program, because, y'know, it's a great learning for life organization, and we want kids to be successful." Over the years, this drive has outfitted over 2,000 scouts with uniforms. Source with audio: https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/scout-leaders-hold-uniform-drive-to-help-with-cost-of-scouting/article_debb2581-a39a-4a28-b252-0823fb58bf0d.html Scout Salute.

My guess - it could, in part, be the growing blacklist I use to foil bad actors (spammers, brute force attackers,...) or something(s) more. A forum administrator could better analyze the problem than a moderator. @SCOUTER-Terry @Eagle1993

By 12, cancer had stolen his ability to walk, yet Stacy Mitchell II trekked on to earn Eagle. Source with video: https://www.wfaa.com/article/features/cedar-hill-eagle-scout-cancer-diagnosis-overcomes/287-0d846f9e-7499-4ed3-9707-1d73cbd36af6