RememberSchiff
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Posts posted by RememberSchiff
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02/17/2024:
Short summary to date with embedded reference links:
Monday Feb 19, 2024 will mark the 4th Anniversary of BSA Bankruptcy.
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1 hour ago, Eagle1993 said:
Seems like some bankruptcy professors and reporters were surprised. In addition "Unlike prior such orders, Alito *didn’t* set a deadline."
Scrambled eggs on their faces? I wonder the reaction of the DOJ/US Trustee Office, in particular trial attorney David Buchbinder, who I believe is now retired.
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If "all operations of Scout Settlement Trust are suspended" will Trust staff take an unpaid leave?
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On 2/14/2024 at 6:24 PM, BadChannel70 said:
Justice Alito is not a proponent of the equitable mootness doctrine and is requiring BSA to respond by 2/15/2024. Day before IRO deadline of 2/16/2024. Indication Scouting Settlement Trust will be shutdown pending SCOTUS decision in Purdue case. APP probably attempt to scramble the egg even more.
8-1/7-2 SCOTUS rules non-debtor releases are not authorized by bankruptcy code.
We shall soon see....
2/15/2024 update: BSA responded to the Supreme Court that blocking the settlement would "throw the Scouting program into chaos" and "potentially destroy BSA’s ability to carry out its 114-year-old charitable mission.""The Purdue case is "starkly different" because that company’s bankruptcy plan has not yet gone into effect, the Boy Scouts argued. The organization emerged from bankruptcy in April 2023 and its settlement has already paid more than $7 million to nearly 3,000 survivors of sexual abuse."More at source:-
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On 6/6/2023 at 11:41 PM, yknot said:
I've pretty much left off commenting on things scouting because it feels too much like speaking ill of the dead.
Star Trek speculates that scouting will still exist in the 22nd century.
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2/13/2024: ‘Lost on a Mountain in Maine’ film will finally hit cinemas this summer
“Lost on a Mountain in Maine, filmed in 2022, was produced by Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions, and this week was picked up by Blue Fox Entertainment for distribution. "
The movie was shot in New York rather than Maine.
Source:
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02/12/2024
Scouting Settlement Trust to Advance Partial Payments to Survivors while Litigation is Pending
"We have been asked repeatedly by Survivors if we can distribute some money while the claims process is under way and we have found a way," said Hon. Barbara J. Houser (Ret.), the Trustee overseeing the administration and distribution of the compensation fund. "A confluence of factors, mostly related to ongoing litigation, currently limits the amount of money we're able to distribute, so we have developed this program to put some money into the hands of Survivors who have been waiting for a long time for some measure of justice."
Under the Advance Payment Program ("APP"), eligible claimants will be able to receive payments of $1,000 before their allowed claim amount is finally determined. Eligibility to participate in the APP will be determined based upon a rigorous application of criteria to the information provided to the Scouting Settlement Trust (the "Trust") by individual claimants.
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To date, approximately 2,914 payments totaling more than $7.3 million have been issued by the Trust to Claimants. An additional 252 payments totaling about $650,000 are scheduled to be sent Feb, 13.
Judge Houser said the Advance Payment Program allows claimants to receive some money while their claim determination is being finalized.
"As I have shared previously, the Trust is constrained from paying claims until various key issues are resolved," said Judge Houser. "The APP allows us to get some money to more Claimants, rather than getting an initial distribution to the smaller number of Claimants whose claims have been fully evaluated."
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Judge Houser has set a deadline of May 31 for all the remaining Matrix claims.
Much more on factors affecting payments and APP at sources:
https://www.scoutingsettlementtrust.com/s/
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Other patrol competition ideas: Sasquatch sightings during the day, Bear bag station from recent Klondike article To build a fire , nice photos
https://cdapress.com/news/2024/feb/11/to-build-a-fire/
“This is a really good way to put their scout skills to the test. They’re having fun and they don’t realize they’re even learning stuff. They adapt to change and overcome while having fun in the outdoors,” Jason Charland, program executive for the Inland Northwest Council
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Feb 9, 2024
Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15), co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Scouting Caucus, this week introduced a resolution celebrating the founding of the Boy Scouts of America.
“For 114 years the Boy Scouts of America has provided the nation's premier program for character development and values-based leadership training for more than 130 million young men and women,” said Boy Scouts of America CEO and President Roger Krone. “As a Congressionally chartered organization with longstanding relationships on both sides of the aisle, we want to thank Representatives Thompson and Bishop for their continued bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Scouting Caucus, unwavering support for advancing the mission of Scouting, and introduction of this important resolution.”
“Having spent more than 50 years in Scouting, including as a proud Eagle Scout and scoutmaster, I’ve witnessed firsthand the pivotal role Boy Scouts of America has in shaping the next generation of leaders,” Rep. Thompson said. “The invaluable skills, principles, and lessons taught in Scouting last a lifetime. I am proud to commemorate the 114th anniversary of the organization with this bipartisan resolution.”
“I am proud to introduce this bipartisan resolution celebrating the Boy Scouts of America with my fellow Eagle Scout and colleague in Congress, “GT” Thompson,” Rep. Bishop said. “Scouting has been an integral part of my life, helping shape it and through scouting I have built relationships that have lasted a lifetime. It is a community that has engaged millions of youths across the world for over a century and instills the crucial principles of moral character, self-reliance, responsibility, leadership, human dignity, and service to others which are so important to our country's well-being.”
Sources:
https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-bishop-introduce-boy-scouts-america-day-resolution-0
https://bishop.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressmembers-bishop-and-thompson-introduce-bipartisan-boy-scouts-of-america-day-resolution
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Happy 114th Anniversary video from Key 3 and Scouts.
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Wildlife photographer "Daniel Dencescu spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome, Italy.
Finally, on the cloudless winter's day, the murmuration, swirled into the shape of a giant bird." (Perhaps communicating to photographer to stop following them?
)
He was a finalist in Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award competition.
More on "The Secrets and Science Behind Starling Murmurations".
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/starling-murmurations.htm
An interesting read on the study of murmurations and application to animations (bats in Batman Returns) and swarm robotics (drones).
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2/7/2024 New York:
With the merger of Iroquois Trail Council and the Greater Niagara Frontier Council into the Western New York Council, Camp Dittmer closed in 2023 and is for sale through Timberland Realty - 317 acres with private 110 acre Remick Lake for $3.7M.
"Camp Babock-Hovey on Seneca Lake in Ovid is being sold by the Rochester-based Seneca Waterways Council. The 284-acre site is listed for $9 million. The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation may be interested in purchasing the property, as are private developers. The Seneca County Board of Supervisors voted to form a local development corporation to manage the property if the state buys it.
Additionally, Camp Barton on Cayuga Lake in the town of Covert, Seneca County, has been sold by Baden-Powell Council in Binghamton to State Parks. It will be managed by Three Falls LDC, consisting of the towns of Covert and Ulysses, along with the village of Trumansburg. The latter two municipalities are in Tompkins County."
Source
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@ThreeFiresEagle welcome to scouter.com
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@niagarafalls welcome to scouter.com
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15 hours ago, Jameson76 said:
True - oh so true. When we are out and about during the outing closing etc leadership always tries to bring up that the state parks, WMA's, National Forest, National Battlefields etc are preserved areas and it takes support to keep them. We mention that as Scouts we may have have camped / hike at the same place. We need to do what we can to help preserve and promote the public lands.
Outdoor Code is more than 27 words and Leave No Trace needs to apply any time you are out in the woods. BSA should be the experts in this and SMEs (Subject Matter Experts).
We were, but gave it away.
In the 80's the BSA did just that when we worked with the Bureau of Land Management to formulate Leave No Trace (LNT). The BSA had the opportunity to lead LNT but did not. In the 90's, NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) took over LNT with the US Forest Service. Other government partners joined. Government funding of these education programs was always a problem. which lead to the creation in 1994 of LNT, a non-profit educational program which marketed courses to many groups including the BSA.
More details at this link
https://lnt.org/sites/default/files/Leave_No_Trace_History_Paper.pdf
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15 hours ago, DuctTape said:
For how long have we here at Scouter.com advocated for required mBs to be in groups/categories of which the scout could choose?
Long time. Citizenship and classroom merit badges are often catalysts.
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39 minutes ago, scoutldr said:
The Rovers are back!
Who Are the Rovers?
The Rovers are a group of young adults aged 21-34 with a passion for the outdoors, giving back to the community, and hanging out with like minded peers.
Not to be confused with the Rovers (age 18+) scouting program of the Outdoor Service Guides ?
Outdoor Service Guides (OSG), was formed in the U.S. in 2006 as an independent scouting association, Baden Powell Service Association, BPSA. The name was officially changed in 2021 to Outdoor Service Guides.
Rovers are the adult section of Outdoor Service Guides, intended for adults (18+) of all genders. There is no upper age limit for scouting with us, and adults can have fun scouting together and earning badges, too.
Rovers are organized into self-governing crews as part of an overall scout group. Most Rovers serve as scout leaders for the younger sections and manage the functioning of the larger group, but not all. Scouting for adults does not have to be about taking care of kids in the woods.
The Rover motto is simply “Service,” and it is put into practice both in the group and the community.
Rovers commit to following the Scout Law which is our guide to being a good Rover and a good member of our community.
The Scout Law
- A scout’s honor is to be trusted.
- A scout is loyal.
- A scout’s duty is to be useful and help others.
- A scout is a friend to all and a sibling to every other scout, no matter to what class, country, or creed the other may belong.
- A scout is courteous.
- A scout is kind to animals.
- A scout obeys orders.
- A scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties.
- A scout is thrifty.
- A scout is clean in thought, word and deed.
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@Val welcome to scouter.com
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Carthage, MO Troop 9 Scouts provide 71 noise-canceling headphones for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Scout Salute.
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On 12/15/2017 at 2:36 PM, RememberSchiff said:
Scouts are like squirrels,
they forget where they bury things.
Schenectady, NY
"Chris Mehaffey, CEO and SE of the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said he was unaware the statue still existed."
Omaha, NE
"Omaha’s Little Sister of Liberty was among at least 15 placed in Nebraska to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America. Omaha’s statue stood in Turner Park for several decades, during which it received some rough treatment. For the past 30 years, it’s been tucked away in storage in sculptor John Lajba’s downtown Omaha studio. "
To put Omaha’s Little Liberty back in place would take work. The arm with the torch is missing, he said, as is her crown, and her right leg is crushed. “It’s important that she be restored using the original methods used to create her.” ...
Much more history including photo at source:
https://flatwaterfreepress.org/mini-statues-of-liberty-brought-patriotism-to-nebraska-towns-then-omahas-disappeared/
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Jan 25, 2024:
A former Boy Scout volunteer, David Lee Nelson, 41, of Redmond, Washington, admitted hiding two cameras in a S Bar F Scout Ranch bathroom in July of 2021.
"Nelson hid the cameras in paper towel dispensers and positioned them so they would capture the interior of the bathroom, including a shower stall.
One camera was discovered when a scout leader and scouts were cleaning out one of the restroom stalls. A search uncovered another camera, and leaders then called the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department. Later in the day, a scout leader spotted Nelson holding his cell phone near the bathrooms.
The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake is prosecuting the case."
Nelson is facing a "mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release of up to life".
More details at source:
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Ten years ago when Weston Rock was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer at the age of 10 months, his Greencastle-Antrim community rallied as he was treated at Penn State Health Children's Hospital in Hershey.
"Weston died of cancer in February 2016, less than a month before his third birthday, but he is remembered with Greencastle Cub Pack 13's annual pajama drive. Just before Christmas, Cub Scout Pack 13 topped 10,000 pairs of pajamas collected for the children’s hospital since the fall of 2016, according to Cubmaster Patrick Jansen."
"Some 1,500 pairs of pajamas were donated last year, which was especially poignant since Weston’s father David died of cancer in April at the age of 43."
Weston’s mother Becky explained, “The pajama drive meant a whole lot to my husband, David. So that made the collection even more meaningful for our family this year. I just want to extend my deepest gratitude to the Cub Scouts, their leaders and their families for keeping this event thriving for so many years. It would not happen without their hard work. "
"Weston probably spent more days of his life at Hershey Medical Center than in our home, so we always looked for ways to make him feel like a child and not a patient while he was there. One way that we did that was by keeping him in pajamas and avoiding hospital gowns as much as we could."
“I think that the success of the pajama drive is such a reflection of how loved Weston was and the impact that his short life had on so many people. It is especially meaningful that it is a group of children and their leaders who do such hard work every year to honor Weston's memory and to bring comfort to other children who are fighting for their lives.”
Godspeed to the Rock family and Scout Salute to Greencastle Cub Pack 13,
More details including photos at source :
Related: Penn State THON is a student-run philanthropy committed to enhancing the lives of children and families impacted by childhood cancer. Their online 46 hour dance marathon is Feb 16-18.
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Two local opinions on logging Camp Easton and donating wilderness properties:
Camp Easton, Safety First - Mike Aagesen extract:
First and foremost, Camp Easton is a privately owned property that can be done with at the discretion of the owners, which just happens to be the Inland Northwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America. While stunning, it is not there solely for anyone’s personal viewing pleasure. This is not the National Forest but a functioning operating Camp that earns revenue from the youth that attend it!...
One single wind event several years ago took down hundreds of trees at Camp Easton. No surprise, these trees fall indiscriminately. That means fire roads, parking lots, Scout camping areas, parade grounds, waterfront and structures are all at risk. If you have any doubts about the power of a falling tree, the recent fatal tragedy on Seltice Way should be a stark reminder. Allowing trees to fall as “nature intended” sounds ill-advised and, well, basically stupid for a Camp where young people are present. Just an FYI, there is no “old growth” on Camp Easton, but the older larger trees are much more susceptible to these events...
If folks want Camp Easton to remain as is to satisfy their anti-development agenda, it needs to be maintained, sometimes aggressively, so that it is first and foremost safe. I suggest, park the drones and crack open the checkbook, that would go a lot further to preserving Camp Easton. I am a member of the Boy Scouts of America but not currently serving in any official capacity and views are my own.
Full editorial link:
https://cdapress.com/news/2024/jan/11/my-turn-camp-easton-safety-first/
Warning to Potential Land Donors - Bev Twillmann extract:
...When Camp Easton land was donated to the BSA by the Fitze family in the early 1900s, the intention was it be used “as a camp for boys, in perpetuity,” to benefit their growth and development. This statement is right out of the minutes of the meeting with the BSA and the Fitze family, prior to the donation being accepted. That document surfaced during the lawsuit that was filed in 2011 when the Inland Northwest Council of Boy Scouts, located in Spokane, tried to sell/swap Camp Easton for a less desirable location in Sunup Bay and allow Discovery Land Company to take over the present site for a development. “In perpetuity” means “forever,” yet the expensive lawyers for BSA were able to twist the words and convince the Court that by selling/swapping Camp Easton, they were using the proceeds to “benefit the boys,” so it did not go against original wishes for the donation. Public outcry was one of the main reasons the deal never went through. Mr. Fitze would never have wanted this land extensively logged as a “Cash Cow” for the BSA.
The Camp Easton trees now being cut and being taken to the mill are beautiful virgin pieces of lumber; healthy, straight huge timber of old growth trees. In researching “old growth trees,” Wikipedia states old-growth forests are ... ”old-growth stands usually between 80 and 150 years …” Camp Easton was heavily timbered over a century ago, when it was donated; many of the trees there today were there then, and are what’s being presently logged. To state otherwise, that no old-growth trees are on this land is untrue. This is not forest management — it is forest slaughter for profit.
Mr. Aagesen mentions in his letter the “risk” involved in having so many large trees in Camp Easton. What does he think a “Wilderness Camp” should be? A flat piece of ground with no trees bigger than 4 feet? In speaking to some of the past Camp Easton workers and Scouts, as well as many local old-timers, no one has ever heard of any individual attending Camp Easton having a tree fall on them...
Full editorial link:
Why Do Scout Leaders Not Respond (and is there anything to be done about it)?
in Open Discussion - Program
Posted
Similar experiences here, so I gave up waiting and I am renovating our first floor bath slooowly myself amid other sudden home repair interruptions.