RememberSchiff

Closed "Tuesday night was the final night of activity out at Camp Strake, which used to be in an isolated patch of land near Conroe.... Johnson Development purchased the property and is planning residential and retail space on the 2,000-acre site that includes several lakes and bayous. The Boy Scouts are relocating away from the sprawl." http://www.kvue.com/story/news/state...ears/21124263/ http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/neighborhood/2014/12/30/camp-strake-closing-after-70-years/21090359/

Not long ago, around here the cost of a district event just covered event expenses, usage fee, food if any, event patch in the range of $5-15. In recent years, we are seeing district events charging $20-30/scout or more, but attendance is down (too $$) such that two or more districts commonly merge events to raise attendance in order to see a "profit", i.e., fund council. Council says that they need the money and that this has been done for years with other "events" - summer camp and high adventure treks.

I and other adults have offered to help in the past as after all we are already there, but the various program directors have rejected the idea for "safety" reasons. More likely they feared losing control to continue to do things the camp way - rubber-stamped blue cards, etc. But to answer your first question, it would have to be seamless. I would insist that I conduct my merit badge class the same way I normally do - the scout has already done the prereqs if any, read the book, no previous work accepted unless documented with a blue card and even then I will ask question, all requirements to be completed, a small and manageable class... quality of instruction over quantity of merit badges, all contrary to the current camp program. Second question, to get older college kids? 1. Shorter work week, i.e., give them (and us) back their weekend. Camp begins say Sunday afternoon/evening or even Monday morning and ends Friday afternoon. Closing campfire is Thursday night. 2. Work with colleges to set up some credited work/study 3. Better pay would help, particularly increases for returning counselors. To get adults. 1. Treat us like adults. 2. Offer part time day with no uniform requirements, just Health forms A & B. 3. Taxi/gator transport to class location. 4. On site secure storage of merit badge materials. 5. Free coffee 6. Support our decisions. If we feel the scout's work was incomplete, a partial it is. Period. My $0.02, and I like my coffee black

- If gas prices continue down, our unit may try more distant camping. - Our unit is moving towards an adult run, car camping, Eagle mill. - I am seeing an increase in provo camping and decrease in troop camping at local summer camps. Adults cannot take or will not take vacation time or will not be hassled with paperwork. - Council costs continue to rise despite mergers and camp sales. Families are beyond fatigue with fundraising.Council sent out a stern Nov donation mailing about the Council cost for a scout/year and the need to donate. Unfortunately, their mailing list was largely those who donated to FOS in March! - Our council can't fill a trek bus even if they combined all who signed up for Philmont, Summit, Sea Base, Northern Tier. Too $$$ - Need quicker turnaround of "new" merit badges. A new scout can earn FC quicker than National can introduce a new badge! We had two scouts interested in Animation merit badge which has been repeatedly delayed. They left in Sept. Announce a new merit badge and it should be in the next year's Requirements book. Don't worry about printing a merit badge book, scouts won't read them. Think online resource videos and pdf's. - scouts are interested in STEM badges - robotics, welding, - wired scouts. More and more tech on outings. A scout is more likely to carry a smartphone than a knife. . - Increasing cost of abuse settlements. Recently, a Connecticut jury issued a $7mil verdict (compensatory damages) against BSA National, - The Annual Meeting in May? After last year's meeting, Gates said that he would have allowed gay leaders as well scouts. That said, I predict 2015 will be a good year locally for scout units. Council and National not so much. My $0.02,

The Sunday Gazette-Mail has announced the West Virginian of the Year for 2014 - the Boy Scout. “A lot of Scouting’s impact on West Virginia is hard to measure in terms of dollars and cents,†Jeffrey Purdy, president of BSA’s Buckskin Council,said. http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141228/GZ01/141229485

Each Christmas, I wonder if a grunt soldier-driven truce might occur again somewhere during the year, when both sides realize they have more in common than they knew. I know hard to believe in today's world. Maybe it will be a common song, holiday, sport, or maybe just maybe on some battlefield one soldier will raise the Scout sign and not his rifle and his enemy will do the same...and for a day, peace.

A Scout salute to those who are far from their homes keeping us safe. [video=youtube;XQ-JuJZTpVE]

http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/guns-stolen-boy-scouts-18984.shtml#.VJVhjF4AKA "MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. -- Twenty-one shotguns and rifles were stolen from a McDowell County Boy Scout camp earlier this week. Detective James Manis with the county sheriff’s office said investigators are now in a race against time. “All of these are concerns; being used in a crime, being traded for dope, being traded for money, being in the wrong hands, you know? Anything like that is very serious and we take it very serious," Manis said. Perhaps nobody is taking this case as seriously as Mark Turner with Mecklenburg Boy Scouts of America, who said this is the second time their camp has been robbed. "Earlier in the year someone came on the property tore out one of the air conditioning systems and tore all the copper...and I'm sure they're just trying to turn stuff into quick cash," Turner said. Turner said the gun safe, where the stolen guns were located was not locked. But, in the future more preventative measures will be taken." Some serious stupid there. My $0.02

From wikipedia...so much fail The idea behind the pinewood derby is for the parent, usually the father, but occasionally the mother or grandparent, to spend time helping the child design, carve, paint, add weights, and tune the final car. However, it is often the case that the parent takes over the construction of the car, an aspect of the event that was lampooned in the 2005 film Down and Derby, and also in a 2009 episode of South Park. The quest for a fast car supports a cottage industry that supplies modified wheels, axles, and blocks as well as videos and instruction books. While a pinewood derby car kit costs around US$4, a set of modified wheels and axles can sell for more than ten times that amount. Each pack sets its own rules under the guidelines set forth by the BSA[10] and their particular local district. The aftermarket items are legal under some Pack rules since the parts originally came from an official Boy Scouts of America (BSA) kit. Complete cars can be purchased on eBay and elsewhere for around $100 to $200.[11] Although these cars violate the spirit of the event, if not the rules, enforcement can be difficult. Model manufacturer Revell was licensed by the BSA to produce pinewood derby kits with a release in December 2009.[12]

If we need an objective, third-party judge to run any event in scouting, let's just either remove "Trustworthy" right now or bring back real Unit Commissioner of old who policed units.

A fair Pinewood Derby? Your chances of seeing a unicorn on a hike are better,

One of our scouts interviewed a highway department supervisor as the scout overheard, not entirely incorrectly, that this supervisor tells the school superintendent when schools should close due to road conditions. And from there, the supervisor just ran with it as our scout took notes - downed tree removal, snow plowing, potholes,.. definitely not the snooze that the School Board member was.

Transgender? Didn't know about that. Jenner seems (to me) to have lost himself in his unreal reality family and I have two former scouts in a similar going nowhere situation. That old ad hit me with a brick - "...there's no guarantee...you never know." If Peter Pan wants to join my troop, it would be okay with me. I may have more Lost Boys.

Not sure he is. Not to single him out, just becoming aware of a couple of my former scouts who lost their way with their lives. And I pulled out the shoebox of memories and had a similar copy of this ad. So it goes.

Just shake my head.

camporees

No doubt some technology is undesirable if not outright evil - Powerpoint and Paypal come immediately to my mind. When I think back of the heavy gear I carried at Philmont in the 60's and consider what I would still carry today. The list begins with TP and I think it ends there. My back likes internal frame packs, tents and sleeping bags are lighter, wicking material and fleece ...even the wool is better, LED flashlights, better batteries, real backpacking stoves not sterno, Boots alone, boy do I wish I had the boots I wear now when I hiked Philmont and no we didn't have Moleskin back then. First Aid kits - Epi-pens, OTC anitihistamines, SAM split, Quickclot, Kling, ... Summer camps around here are growing their STEM offerings, one is piloting an ATV course. Kayaks are available. PFD's!!! Technology is not all computer or electronics, still back then we often carried walkie-talkies as it was Combat cool and aided the program. And I think that is the issue with technology, we often do not utilize it well to aid the program and scouts. I have seen my scouts send photos and upload videos of outings to friends and it is great advertising. My two bit-coins,

Cape Cod and Islands Boy Scout Council. Hope Nantucket wins big time!

Just rumors. There are growing technology issues within the Aims - responsible online behavior, networking with others, mental and emotional fitness. And when you consider STEM programs, Scouts are using tablets, cellphones, and laptops more and more, GPS more compass/map less, and networks at camps.... Even Girl Scouts are now selling cookies online. Hmmm?

All turned ended up as time-share type sales pitches... Hah, very good analogy. Very few, less than a handful in ten years, from our troop have attended any of the National HA camps. The rest, including my sons, decided to be thrifty - shop local and save their money for college. Local council high adventure camps are more affordable. Alaska Ultimate High Adventure http://scoutingalaska.org/alaska-ultimate-high-adventure/ North Idaho High Adventure - http://www.nwscouts.org/camping/north-idaho-high-adventure-program/23243 Maine High Adventure - http://mainehighadventure.org/ Some OA Camp Guides have a complete list or try your luck with Google.

I thought National had stopped accepting money from tobacco companies. Has anyone seen this RDRN program in their local councils? In a letter to Robert Gates, director of the Boy Scouts of America and a former U.S. Secretary of Defense, the senators urged the organization to drop RDRN and "work with public health advocates about more effective steps you could take to discourage boy scouts from smoking than the ineffective RDRN program." Deron Smith, communications director for the Boy Scouts of America, said the organization would review the senators' letter but took no position on their request. "The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, including helping young people live a healthy lifestyle," Smith said. As part of a larger program, the Boys Scouts use RDRN "to send a clear, unambiguous smoking prevention message," he said. "Beyond that, we look forward to receiving the letter." link http://www.newstimes.com/local/artic...om-5923587.php

They are Boy Scouts, and are trained in first aid,†she (mom) says. “They were so good about it. They jumped right in to help; one called 9-1-1 and the other starting calling my family and friends.†The scouts brought washcloths and helped to clean everyone and everything up, and just kept things under control until paramedics arrived. Once everyone was assessed they were brought to Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, PA where mom and baby are both doing well. Nice Thanksgiving story. http://www.crozerkeystone.org/news/press-releases/2014/november/dmch-patient-gives-birth-at-home-with-the-help-of-her-boy-scout-/

Mergers save money, not members. Another problem is too many clueless adults in leadership roles. My $0.02,

Creepy. Well maybe Nooyi can sell blacktop or a new roof to the parent while she is calling.