RememberSchiff

I doubt my sons would call me progressive, but to paraphrase that quote

Birds of a feather gathered together are more likely to chirp. 

Sounds true enough, but not real world. We should teach kids how to politely and productively interact in the melting pot.

Yes, but at least Boy Scouts were kind in not bringing up cooties. 

http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Girl-Scouts-directors-react-to-Boy-Scouts-considering-including-girls-440436383.html

Iowa - The Boy Scouts of America are considering opening its program to elementary school girls.

The Northeast Iowa Boy Scout council says they're asking troop leaders whether that seems like a good idea. Directors say they're considering opening up their program to girls as a way to make scouting more inclusive for the whole family.

The Northeast Iowa Boy Scout council says it's pretty common for a Cub Scout’s sister to tag along for Boy Scout activities. That's why The Boy Scouts of America are considering offering programs for elementary school girls that coincide with what the boys are doing.

But Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois CEO, Diane Nelson says Girl Scouts already provide that.

"Our research shows that when girls are in an environment with other girls, they're more likely to raise their hand. They are more likely to speak up. They are more likely to voice their opinions," said Nelson.

Over the past several years, Girl Scout directors have closed camps throughout the region. Nelson says those closures were financially based and not indicative of fewer outdoor programs for girls.

"We may not have the facilities that we've had in the past, but we still and will continue to always have the program," said Nelson.

Link above includes video. Girl Scout leaders spoke on camera, Boy Scout Council would not.

Yup with the BSA 10 hour a day drive limit you can't get far. Some think it's ten hours per driver. Nope, ten hours per vehicle.

I think we had planned on getting an hour back as we crossed a time zone. 

Thanks for info. Two vans at that price is quite a  deal.

Driving direct from New England would take at least 6 days out of our 9-10 (2 weekends, 5 day) vacation window. Renting a 12 or 15 passenger van at ABQ (always seems to cost more at an airport) for our trek, I think was in the $800-1000 range.  Too much $$ for us, might as well go with Council contingent.

I wish the other adults had the time to drive. See the USA and not the TSA.

I tell scouts to CC their parents in all their email communication with anyone in scouting.  If no response, then a follow-up phone call (few scouts will do this).

Did you actually rent two 15 passenger vans? How much did this cost?  Right now we are favoring a commercial shuttle service,

Not if you do your home work. Great camping near Angel Fire.

Well considering Philmont which supplies our trek  tents and cooking gear is 60+ miles away....

It would be far more economical for us to transport and camp at Philmont directly two days early, but that does not seem to be an available option.

@@cakika welcome to scouter.com There is a similar communication among adults.

Staying outside of Philmont gets expensive.

https://seascout.org/news/announcing-the-2017-2018-national-boatswain/

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/social_issues/frederick-sea-scout-with-national-title-earns-highest-rank/article_a9dbd062-451e-5f12-8455-72e670c2b155.html

Earlier this year, the National Sea Scout Support Committee selected Mercedes Matlock of Frederick, Maryland as the 2017-2018 National Sea Scout Boatswain, the youth representative for Sea Scouts across the United States of America

...

She attends Hampton University as a Pre-Med Biology Major in hopes of gaining her M.D. PhD. to become a Pediatric Cardiologist and complete medical research. She was recognized for academic achievement by being placed on the Dean’s list. She is a member of the Hampton University Varsity Sailing Team, Biology Club, Chemistry Club, Pre-Medical Club, and MAPS (Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students).

Mercedes’ overall goal is to expand awareness and recognition of Sea Scouting and represent Sea Scouts across the nation in the best possible manner. Her goals are to broaden the program by increasing the number of scouts, connecting the youth leaders from all regions, and increasing awareness of the program using social media by developing content for the Sea Scout YouTube channel.

The source links have much more background information, including her determination to pass the lifesaving test.

Scout Salute

Don't the official membership numbers from the May National meeting come out around now?

In spite of all that, there are still the islands of hope that this article indicates.  Just one scout was brave enough to take on the challenge.  Sometimes that's all it takes.  So, who in this day and age is the one that's going to step up?

Could have happened at Jambo, say when the President arrived to speak. I am not aware if there was a welcoming  skit which celebrated the diversity (race, religion, location, etc. ) of Scouting in America. So in the assembled crowd of  40,000  have a dozen or so Scouts stand  in turn and state "I am  a  .(religion, location, etc)... "  Then everybody stands "We are all Scouts. We are all Americans. Welcome to Summit, Mr. President."

Anyway you get the idea.

But just ONE day early, as I understand.?

Back in the day (here he goes), Boy Scouts was the only game in town where I could be with friends and AWAY from  Mom, DAD, and annoying adults.  There was some adult association but not the domination of today and definitely not the counter-productive Family Scouting. Leadership followed naturally  and to a much lesser extent advancement. The Outdoors was our playing field and not a million dollar Council Resource Center.

Go back to training scouts towards patrol and individual solo (adultless) outdoor adventures. Outward Bound, AMC, and some school outing clubs  do this.

Less fear, more brave.

My $0.02

@@lookingforanswers welcome to scouter.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/opinion/brokaw-norman-mineta-alan-simpson.html

Tom Brokaw writes about the friendship between two scouts that started at a scout Jamboree at Heart Mountain (WY) internment camp,  Only one scout troop from outside the camp accepted the invitation. Interesting story.

Non-uniform pants don't bother me. Levi Strauss does. My understanding, Levi Strauss has not supported Scouting for over 25 years.

May, 1992

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/31/style/signals-why-levi-s-don-t-fit-scouts.html

WHEN Levi Strauss & Company decided this month to end its financial support of the Boy Scouts of America, which refuses to admit gay Scoutmasters and gay Scouts to the ranks of the thrifty, brave and clean, the jeans maker sent a strong message.

The amount of money involved -- $40,000 to $80,000 a year -- was not really significant. But the basis for the decision was.

After much soul-searching, Levi Strauss executives concluded that the Boy Scouts' exclusion of homosexuals was at odds with the company's "core values," said Mary Gross, a corporate spokeswoman. In making grants, she said, "we cannot fund any organization that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation and religious belief."

June, 2016

http://www.levistrauss.com/unzipped-blog/2016/06/sharing-the-blueprint-perspectives-from-levi-strauss-foundations-daniel-lee/

These stands have made us no stranger to tension, but we believe this tension has made us stronger. In 1992, the company decided to withhold matching gifts by employees to the Boy Scouts of America based on its discriminatory policies around sexual orientation and religious belief, triggering a boycott campaign by a conservative organization as well as bags of protest letters. But company leaders stood their ground, taking what the New York Times coined “a hard line on the new diversity of society.â€

https://www.news-journal.com/news/2017/aug/11/dean-want-review-of-power-line-rules/

State Rep. Jay Dean says he's talking with other area lawmakers about legislation in response to the recent electrocution deaths of three Boy Scouts at Lake O' the Pines.

...

Troop 620 Boy Scouts Will Brannon, 17, and Heath Faucheaux, 16, died Saturday afternoon when the topsail mast of the boat they were in with Scout Thomas Larry, 11, hit a power line at the lake while on the troop's monthly campout.

Thomas died Monday at LSU Medical Center-Shreveport.

Longview lawyer G. Brockett Irwin was killed in 1982 when his sailboat hit a power line near Johnson Creek at Lake O' the Pines.

Federal and state standards require any electrical or communications line crossing a waterway where boats commonly operate to have a height clearance of 52 feet.

But that standard comes with a caveat: Existing power lines were grandfathered in. It's that exemption that has some people looking at whether additional regulations are needed.

...

The two accidents 35 years apart, although similar, were in different areas of the lake.

In fact, at least three places at Lake O' The Pines have power lines that cross water where sailboats usually travel.

The Corps of Engineers, which oversees the lake, said it does not have a list of such locations and neither does the Texas Public Utility Commission, which oversees regulations for electric, telecommunication and water and sewer utilities.

No statewide agency is responsible for that information or for checking height clearances on individual power lines, said Terry Hadley, director of communications for the PUC. It's a question for individual power companies or the local authority over that body of water.

The heinous and glaring sexism on display here.  Why isn't this school  focusing on the family? 

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/atlanta-students-surprised-cheers-encouragement-1st-day-school/story?id=49133871&cid=social_fb_abcn

Or diversity? Perhaps they (B.E.S.T. Academy)  have reached their membership (enrollment) goals.

Rose surveys his surroundings and adapts accordingly. That was one of his final tests to achieve Eagle Scout status: two days alone in the woods with only a water bottle, rope and knife. It took hours to snag his first meal.

You had to be patient, Rose said. If you did not figure out how to catch a fish, you were notgoing to eat.

Yes, there may have been a misunderstanding by the reporter, though I know adults in some units teach more in-depth survival such as water collection, tracking, snare building.

As I have said before, I favor a solo Eagle trek over an Eagle project.

Around the campfire tonight, I hope all scouters are enjoying healthy vegan marshmallows, gluten-free, high fiber crackers, dark chocolate s'mores. 

Maybe councils should duck and cover. FOS is their major funding source. Tick off troops at your own risk.

Our council gets more revenue from camping fees, activity fees, and golf tournaments than FOS.

Their major funding source was once United Way, but that gravy train left the station.

And yet Scouts go to Home Depot or Loews or other companies all the time for funding and in kind contributions. One scout went to Kroger for his food drive, who also happens to be a big sponsor of our camp cards.

 

I think what ticks off council is that fundraising has gotten harder for them. Instead of coming up with creative new ways, they forbid Eagles from raising money. I ask you which is more worthy?

Yes but if a scout asked and received a contribution from Acme Widgets and then Council walked in and was blindsided, Oh we gave to a scout yesterday.  That scout and his SM should duck and cover.

Remember a few years  ago, Councils tried too late to reel in units with AmazonSmile accounts? Only Council should have an AmazonSmile Charitable Account...hah, what a circus that was.  Deja vu all over again with GoFundMe, etc.

Two different economic realities -  National and Council,

Council's complaint with online fundraiser accounts is Council loses control of their donors, For example, for years Council has knocked on the door of Acme Widgets and received a large annual donation. Council has prohibited units and scouts from contacting Acme. Now someone at Acme sees a local Eagle GoFundMe and decides to fund that instead. Council makes their annual call to Acme and are told "We gave online to an Eagle project. Have a nice day."