RememberSchiff

Former Deltona Cub Scout pack treasurer Eloisa "Ellie" C. Hilton, 37, a Volusia County high-school teacher, was arrested after reportedly stealing about $9,500 of the pack's money. A review of the pack's checking account showed $2,770 in unauthorized transactions, according to deputies, including electric-, cable- and phone-bill payments. There also were payments for grocery bills, gas-station charges and several nights at a Tampa hotel dating from May 2014 to March 2015. "Another $1,000.66 in funds raised by selling popcorn and discount cards was never deposited into the bank, investigators found," the news release said. The thefts totaled $9,456. Hilton was given $27,493.09 cash to deposit, but only $21,808.51 made it to the bank. ... In a teacher's profile on the school's website, Hilton described herself as a passionate teacher of 10 years and a married mother of three. She also said she enjoys traveling. "I have been to London, Wales, Paris and Dublin," Hilton wrote, "and I have plans to go to Greece, Italy and Spain in the future." http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-deltona-cub-scout-treasurer-arrest-20150527-story.html http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/former-volusia-cub-scout-treasurer-arrested-theft-/nmPW4/

Could a "federally chartered" organization such as the Boy Scouts be taken over by the federal government? Could the President step-up from Honorary President to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Boy Scouts as writer H.L.Menck satirically suggested in 1937? Say these Colorado brownies are great!

More sad truth than humor. Land of the free, home of the brave? I would support a range-free Boy Scout program. Philmont would be a good place to start. Scout-run patrols, no adults.

Identity theft, a terrible thing...somewhere someone is pretending to be you in that mess hall coffee line.

Which membership cards are we talking about - Bronze, Gold, or Silver? I have the basic Bronze which allows me access to the mess hall coffee line. If I upgrade to Gold I get unlimited visits from Silver card holders persuading me to upgrade ($$$) to Silver. With Silver, I get a lifetime supply of TP at camp commissary. A good deal right now, as until July 1, it is still 2-ply.

Meet with the SM, Troop Committee Chairman, and said ASM to discuss the troop's experience, good and bad, with this family and the way forward. If you remove her from your Troop Committee, her sons may leave your troop. If this family stays in your troop how many "positive" families are likely to leave? At the least, I think she should be retired from the Troop Committee. My $0.02

Second try posting to Scout History. Successful after editting in 3 small steps... FYI: The story behind the 1950 BSA stamp appears in the June issue of the American Philatelist. http://stamps.org/American-Philatelist

Interesting background story from the Newtown (CT) Bee about the development of a new merit badge, Signs, Signal, and Codes. Link with text and photos http://newtownbee.com/node/267324 Emoticons, Braille, and Morse code are among the various forms of language featured in the Boy Scouts of America’s newest merit badge, Signs, Signals, and Codes. Introduced in February by Boy Scouts of America (BSA), the badge is the 135th addition to the merit badge program. Whether Scouts are hiking a trail, signaling for help in an emergency, or texting their friends, some form of communication is involved. Newtown resident Catherine Summ, a Boy Scout Troop 270 committee member who has been involved with local troop for about a decade, recently shared some of her expertise in a specialized communications field to help create the latest merit badge introduced by the national organization. Ms Summer was selected in 2013 to be part of the ten-person Development Team for the new badge. The badge merges the use of technology, including text messages and emojis, with plenty of tradition. Scouts are also introduced, while earning this badge, to emergency signaling, Morse code, American Sign Language, Braille, trail signs, sports officiating hand signals, traffic signs, and what Ms Summ describes as “a lot of nonverbal communication.†Ms Summ discovered the project about 18 months ago. “I was flipping through an issue of Scouting magazine back in late 2013, and saw this small ad that said Boy Scouts of America was looking for people to help develop a new badge,†Ms Summ said. “I couldn’t believe I saw this tiny blurb, in the upper left hand corner of the page, that basically said ‘We’re working on a new merit badge. If you know Braille or American Sign Language, and would be interested in contributing to this badge, please get in touch.’†Ms Summ, who is a teacher for the visually impaired, was interested. “I thought this would be a great way for me to contribute to Boy Scouts,†she said. After sending an e-mail to BSA showing her interest and sharing some of her professional credentials, Ms Summ was eventually connected to Pat Mitchell, of Billings, Mont., who is also a teacher of the visually impaired who became involved in the project. The full committee, with members spread from Connecticut to Hawaii, began working on the new badge in January 2014. The group’s first deadline was within a few months. “BSA wanted to fast-track this,†said Ms Summ. “They were hoping to have it by the time summer camps started last year. “We worked really hard, and had about 80 percent of the work done, but just couldn’t finish in time for that,†she said. Instead, committee members continued contacting each other. Ms Summ and her committee counterpart were in contact regularly, on the phone and through e-mail correspondence, “sometimes daily,†she said. The full committee had also weekly meetings via telephone and e-mails. “My colleague in Montana and I were corresponding quite frequently,†she said. “We were working on a draft, or we were researching, and we would just correspond via e-mail or by phone, at least once a week for a period of four or five months.†Their task, she pointed out, was to take the equivalent of a full-year graduate course and boil it down into six pages devoted to Braille, plus an insert with examples of the Braille alphabet and numbers, and a few simple phrases. The insert, a sheet of tough cardboard stock, allows Scouts to go hands-on for this section of their merit badge. “That insert was important,†said Ms Summ. “We were thinking about the fact that there are boys who might be in troops in more remote or rural locations, or in areas where you don’t have a teacher for the visually impaired, or you don’t know someone who reads Braille,†she said. “How would they get that exposure? Now, they’ve got it right here.†The badge was formally released by BSA earlier this year. “As the largest youth-serving organization, the Boy Scouts of America strives to create new programs and opportunities for youth members that speak to their evolving interests,†Steve Bowen, chair of the Merit Badge Development Committee, said via press release when the new badge was announced a few months ago. “By pursuing this merit badge, Scouts will learn to translate other forms of nonverbal communications, such as emojis, which is a productive skill they can use both in and out of Scouting.†To earn this merit badge, Scouts are required to demonstrate their practical knowledge of their newly acquired skills by completing the following requirements: (Odd, these are NOT the released MB requirements. -RS) *Be able to communicate with another person by spelling their first name using Morse code, American Sign Language, and semaphore; *Identify the letters of the Braille alphabet that spell their name by either sight or touch, decode a six- to ten-word Braille message and create a Braille message to share with their counselor/troop- leader; *On a Scouting outing, lay out a trail for their patrol or troop to follow, using only the trail signs and markers provided by troop leaders; *Test their parents, friends, or troop leader by giving them examples of their favorite text symbols or emoticons, and identify the meaning or usage of each symbol. Tim Malaney, who served as the lead volunteer for the merit badge committee, said via press release that introducing Scouts to a variety of nonverbal techniques, “we’re giving them the tools they need to develop into effective communicators. “We hope the merit badge program continues to grow alongside advancements in technology and learning so we can continue to provide value to our youth members,†Mr Malaney added. Ms Summ is pleased with the work she and the entire committee did. “We really wanted to create a fun merit badge,†she said. “It was a really good experience. I would not mind doing this again.†She also called BSA’s process “a truly democratic process.†“They really wanted everyone’s input,†she added. “Everyone had equal say, from the design of the badge, the requirements, and even the cover of the badge guide.†Her one regret was that those who worked on the badge are so far spread that not only did they never meet, but there was never a commemoration of their work. “We cannot celebrate this achievement together,†she said. Introduced In Newtown Local Scouts had an unusual honor last month, when one of the creators of the newest merit badge introduced it to them in person. On April 22, Troop 270 held a Merit Badge College, an event when Scouts work on the requirements for a merit badge. Ms Summ and her husband, Peter Björknäs, divided the troop into two groups. Each adult worked on different aspects of the badge. (The couple has two sons: Henry, an Eagle Scout finishing his first year of college; and Felix, a junior at Newtown High School who is developing his Eagle Scout Project.) While she said the presentations, which continued the following week, were fun, Ms Summ also admitted she and her husband were initially a little nervous. “It was great,†she said. “The boys were focused, and so curious. I brought them some worksheets that a beginning Braille reader might use when they’re learning the Braille code, some story books. “We had 60 active boys, and it was so much fun,†she said. Ms Summ took her Braille typewriter with her for the Merit Badge College last month, as well as a slate and stylist, which she describes as “really low tech. It’s just a metal frame, and you hold a piece of Braille paper in the frame and punch dots in the frame.†Her goal, said Ms Summ, is that all members of Troop 370 have earned their Signs, Signals, and Codes merit badge by the time the troop’s Court of Honor is held in late May or early June.

Yes I thought that too. Bathing in a river just didn't seem, I dunno, British to me. Americans yes.

This can't be right can it? Zoom the image. Left margin has word "Bathroom" with arrow pointed to river.

http://www.nationaltrailsday.org/ A reminder. Some troops, packs, and OA have registered their respective events. Other units likely are already outdoor-committed, scouting as usual. Many folks are outdoors this first June weekend. In Northeast this is also a free (no license) fishing weekend. And then there are all those high school graduations gumming up our planning. My $0.02

May, 2015 Federal Wildlife Officer Matt Belew came to the rescue for Boy Scouts camping at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, OK, when a tornado blew through Saturday night (May 16). The tornado traveled 10 to 12 miles across refuge land, causing major damage to the Fawn Creek Youth Campground on the refuge and destroying nearly all tents. The campground was occupied by Boy Scout Troop 955 from Broken Arrow, OK, as the severe storm was approaching. Anticipating the storm, Belew evacuated all 65 Scouts and their leaders to the refuge headquarters basement about 30 minutes before the tornado hit. All Scouts are safe. One Scout father told headquarters staff that “one of those blue tents that was totally smashed by a large tree was the one my son was in. We had no idea a severe storm was approaching when your officer came and had us evacuate for shelter at the headquarters basement. I fear my son and others would have died had we not left. So, thank you.†The tornado touched down about a quarter mile from the campground. One refuge residence and a camper trailer were damaged but there were no injuries. Deputy refuge manager Ralph Bryant says nesting birds were certainly affected but the large mammal populations on the refuge - elk, bison, deer and longhorn cattle - appear to have escaped unhurt. http://www.fws.gov/refuges/news/FedWildOfficerActsQuicklySaveBoyScouts.html Good video in this news link: http://kfor.com/2015/05/28/they-responded-like-scouts-do-officer-moves-camping-boy-scouts-into-shelter-as-tornado-approaches/ Scout salute and our thanks,

IMO, their "uniform" police are harsher at least towards women.

Update: http://www.southwesttimes.com/2015/05/lake-powhatan-returning-in-time-for-camp/ This past week, Blue Ridge Mountain Council received permission from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to start filling the lake after long needed repairs to the lake’s dam were completed. That work has been going on since March, as construction crews removed the concrete from the dam’s old spillway, excavated, hauled dirt and installed rebar. ... The project to repair the dam received support from Pulaski County businesses such as H.T. Bowling Inc., JWB Contractors, Chandler Concrete, and Gregory Seeding. In addition to providing financial help, most of those businesses donated manpower and supplies, as well as general consultation for dam improvements. ... Private parties also donated over $50,000 to help cover repair costs, which were estimated at $260,000. Blue Ridge Mountain Council turned to crowd funding to help raise project finances through a campaign on www.gofundme.com/powhatan. ... The lake at Camp Powhatan is fed by Max Creek, which then flows from the dam into a community below, therefore classifying the lake as “high hazard.†Although the lake was completely dry last month, Johnson said he was optimistic that the repairs would be finished in time for camp to be held this summer. At this point, the lake at Camp Powhatan is filling up, and awaiting 4,000 summer scouts, who will continue on the tradition. According to Grubb, camp is scheduled to start June 14. Great comeback.

Tehran "Seventeen young boys and girls who were squirting water at each other were arrested on Friday in one of the beach parks" in the city of Bandar Abbas, Homozgan province's justice chief Ali Alia said, quoted by ISNA news agency. Alia added that "five were immediately let go" and that the rest were released on bail Sunday but could face sentences for publicly committing an "act forbidden" by Islam and "insulting police officers." General Ahmad Rouzbahani, the head of the morality police, warned recently in a television appearance that police forces, in accordance with the law, "will act forcefully against this type of action and will not allow such events to happen in public places, or anywhere throughout the country." http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/08/07/iran-arrests-17-youths-over-water-fight/ Wonderful, just what I want for our kids.

What more mandatory training?

When it rains, it pours... As you know, water guns are only BSA approved to shoot at targets and likely only after a scout has undergone 5 days of safety lectures. So this got old Schiff thinking about a bankrupt traveling carnival (they were having a hard finding employees with new background check laws... ). So why not recycle their "water targets" and set up at a pilot range at the Summit. But... ran into some problems. First problem, "BSA policies prohibit the use of targets resembling any living thing." and it was quickly apparent that the bottom targets resemble some folks living in Irving. The second problem was the price tag. a proposed Summit shooting range has to be in the millions of dollars so I looked at Coney Island and DisneyWorld but their water gun venues all appear to have attendees shooting at each other, a no-no. By endurance we conquer.

May, 2015 FNH USA donated fifteen 9mm pistols consisting of their FNS-9 Standard and FNS-9 Compact models to the Marksman program at Bechtel Summit. Nice. http://www.odumagazine.com/fnh-usa-makes-donation-to-boy-scouts-of-americas-marksman-program/ Similarly two years ago, Sig Sauer donated 70 custom engraved pistols to the Bechtel summit for the 2013 Jamboree. The seventy consisted of 54 Mosquito (22 caliber) and 16 P250 (likely 9mm but other calibers possible). http://www.ammoland.com/2013/07/sig-sauer-donates-pistols-to-boy-scouts-of-america/ Hopefully all Summit BSA firearms including these 85 donated pistols have been maintained and are in a secure location in the Summit area, all ready for scouts to learn marksmanship in the coming years.

Welcome Marco. You're gut instinct, "Where is it written that the policy/procedure is ..." is right on as it makes no sense to write a reimbursement without a receipt. I agree with Stosh. We have found this write-up helpful http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Treasurer_-_Good_Practices

You will get more accurate answers by speaking to the adult leaders of the unit. But I will takes some guesses: 1. No but when you are involved with your son in Scouting in PA, i think yes. 2. Maybe. You could be cleared by FBI and PA and the BSA unit, Council, or BSA National could still reject you. 3. No. 4. If the FBI or PA reject an applicant, the BSA cannot overrule. 5. Yes, probably from you. Council is required to keep clearance records of all over 18 volunteers.

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2015/05/22/atlanta-oldest-scout-honored/27811049/ Lamar Wallace is the oldest Eagle Scout at age 103. Ever since he was small, Wallace aspired to Scout's Honor. He said it's kept him in good stead. The mindset pushed Wallace to serve in Germany during World War II and, when he returned, to build his own Oklahoma home. "Anything I wanted to do, anything I had in my mind to do, I could do," Wallace said. Scout Salute

Section 6444 is the following disclosure document which you sign. http://fcbc.net/archangel/woa/mgServeFile.php?fn=0_53_public/DISCLOSURE%20STATEMENT%20for%20VOLUNTEERS.pdf If French Creek Council is correct, you may have more time "Based on the reading of this law as it stands now, currently registered volunteers with the BSA program will need to complete these checks by July 1, 2016. Adults attending camp in a leadership capacity after July 1, 2015 have two options: Option 1: All adult leaders attending camp must be registered with BSA (prior to July 1, 2015) before attending which will allow you until July 1, 2016 to complete the clearances. Option 2: All adults holding leadership positions at camp (supervising kids) must have the ACT 153 clearances which include State Police background, and Department of Child Services background check. A fingerprinting clearance (if you have NOT lived in the State of PA for more than 10 years) is also required. You can register for the fingerprinting here. A signed affidavit must be completed if you have lived more than 10 years in PA and that form can be found on frenchcreek-bsa.org/forms/Volunteer Disclosure Form PA Act 153 of 2014 " http://fcbc.net/archangel/woa/mgServeFile.php?fn=0_53_public/DISCLOSURE%20STATEMENT%20for%20VOLUNTEERS.pdf Hope this helps.

From what I read, NESA membership was required for those scholarships. Is that correct, being a plain, old Eagle scout was not sufficient to apply? Congratulation to all scholarship winners.

Good point NJ. I expected to hear a progress report regarding the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan. Anyone hear anything about that?

He threw a few crumbs our way. I see the Chief automatically getting the 10% performance (for what?) bonus so just a 10% reduction. To be transparent, just explicitly state the new Chief salary range which IMO should be $400-500K. I am not seeing the transparency. I am seeing more layers between myself and the information/help that I seek. Is it easier to become or remain a volunteer? Are we getting more volunteers? Again no numbers were presented. Maybe I am reading between the lines, but I get the impression that STEM scouting is the future direction. My $0.01