RememberSchiff

Just say no. It takes away from activity time (exercise) and there are just too many overweight and obese boys along with too many parents willing to "help" by providing 2000 calorie brownie/cupcakes and sugar soda to wash it down. Another way to say no, "Due to food allergies,...no snacks!" My $0.02, RS aka the "Snack Nazi" - "no snacks for you".

I think the "Eagle Project" requirement came about in the early 60's. Before that there was a "Scout Spirit" requirement for Eagle (Life and Star too) to basically "do your best" to help your home, school, church, community - i.e. be a good scout. Some scouters wanted something more specific, something that the scout had done - the Eagle project. Then as I recall it was usually a singular effort - a scout planned it and did the work himself as the emphasis was still "scout spirit". It certainly was simpler. My $0.02,

Maybe that is "the directive". So no more excuses such as "we did all that was legally required" in states where there is no mandatory abuse reporting law. We are required to report. Seems not releasing the "pervert files" contradicts this directive. Looking forward to the KPMG report on Scouts Canada pervert files, and Scouts Canada different approach. My $0.02,(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Good post. Anyone see this in writing? "Last year, in one of his first major directives, Johnson (youth protection director, Michael Johnson, a former police detective) stipulated that all adult Scout staff are mandated to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement authorities and Scout leaders, even if this would not be required by state law." (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Could be real or fake, fun or dumb but I hope it works though I would rather see patrols of scouts compete. I placed this in "Patrol Method" here as I wish the terms "patrol" and "patrol method" had been used by National. "Irving, TEXAS (Jan. 17, 2012) Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? Its the question being asked by a new unscripted series from Original Productions (Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers) set to air this fall on the National Geographic Channel. Those who have been involved with the Boy Scouts of America know how tough Scouts can be. They master hundreds of unique skills, learn what it takes to survive in a variety of circumstances, and focus on teamwork to accomplish goals that otherwise would be insurmountable. Now, as part of Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?, teams of adults from different backgrounds will have an opportunity to test their mettle against some of those Scouts in challenges based on the Boy Scout Handbook..." http://www.scouting.org/Media/PressReleases/2012/20120117.aspx?mid=5803(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Adults with a different set of rules? I can see that carrying-over into other areas Been there, seen rocket engines, magnets, springs, and fights before the PWD started. Try an adult or open division with same rules and they race after the scouts, afterall you need them to take down the track too. My $0.02,

"..where all that money will come from, maybe the next Jambo will be even more expensive? So far, I think donations have totaled 100 million. In answer to my question - BONDS. "The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Friday made their first move toward securing a $200 million tax-exempt bond to further fund construction of the Summit Bechtel Reserve. If all goes as planned, the Fayette County Commission will issue the bond in the coming months, generating funds from the purchase of those bonds by financial institutions and, perhaps, individuals. Last year, the commission issued a $100 million bond for similar use by the BSA. The Boy Scouts have almost spent the entire $100 million borrowed last year and they are moving dirt as fast and as rapidly as possible, says John Stump of the law firm Steptoe and Johnson, which represented the BSA at the county commission meeting Friday. They are in a position now to borrow up to an additional $200 million. Though the BSA has significant pledges from donors for the Summit project, those funds generally arent paid up front, creating a need for construction monies. Stump says the BSA wants to be ready to ramp up construction when the weather breaks in March, to further prepare for the approaching 2013 National Jamboree. ..." http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x594868673/Scouts-take-step-toward-tax-exempt-Summit-bond

This one is for OGE and shortridge as they likely know this scenario has happened before. "Oh the Troop Committee, they'll gum everything up." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffml4yY-QXA&feature=related

Hmmm "Scout Stuff" has a 5 star rating on amazon.com Books ... that might change if the informed found it to be a less than fair and scholarly effort. My $0.02 P.S. (from amazon About the Author) "Robert Birkby is the author of the Boy Scouts Handbook, the Boy Scouts Fieldbook, the Scoutmaster Handbook, and many other Boy Scouts of America publications. An Eagle Scout and outdoor educator, he also served as Director of Conservation at Philmont Scout Ranch in the mountains of northern New Mexico. He lives in Seattle, Washington."(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Change date from when bugs are worst to when they are not around or their natural enemies are present. Mid March, early April before bugs and mud season. Mid June on, depending on rain, things tend to get better. Change location (habitat) to an area less buggy, maybe sea coast (breezy, good venue to tell WBers to go fly a kite ) Pray for wind. As mentioned, fans work too. When Mel Gibson was filming Man Without A Face in Maine, his film crew setup large fans to blow away the black flies and mosquitoes during filming. My $0.02.

Supposedly, each Council maintains records of scouts who earned Eagle in that council and the earlier councils that may have merged into that council. As I recall, the record fields: Scout name Troop number Troop town Scoutmaster Council name where earned date earned Eagle number Hope this is still true and helps.(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

KPMG, an outside business consulting and auditing company, has started reviewing Scouts Canada records of suspected or alleged sex abuse, totalling about 350 cases since the 1940s. A public report is expected in early 2012. Steve Kent, the youth organization's chief commissioner, "said that the organization is willing to lift controversial confidentiality clauses contained in some of its out-of-court settlements with child sex-abuse victims. Scouts Canada has been criticized for including conditions that barred victims from revealing the existence of settlements in many cases but went as far as to forbid any mention of the abuse. Some victims felt muzzled and confused by the agreements. However, Kent noted that factors such as the privacy of third parties may affect decisions about whether to fully lift confidentiality clause conditions. He encouraged victims to contact Scouts Canada to discuss their agreements. "We don't want to prevent any of those people from telling their stories, if that's helpful in their healing, if they believe that that can help others then we want to do what we can to enable that," said Kent." http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2011/12/09/scouts-.html

Steve Kent, chairman of the governing board of Scouts Canada, has apologized to victims of sexual abuse in the organization and announced an independent review of confidential files . Scouts Canada CEO Janet Yale denied that confidential records were kept. She resigned abruptly in November after the CBC published proof of their existence. So far, the BSA has not allowed an independent review of their perversion files. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/08/local/la-me-1209-scouts-20111209(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Nope, for our unit it not part of the program - no Christmas or Winter Holiday party, no Secret Santa or Swap. We take a break usually around second week of Dec to second week of Jan. Family time.

Bad scouting: - Excluding scouts from troop activities because (pick any fixed black and white reason except safety, e.g. not doing THIS service project, not having 90% attendance, not attending a MANDATORY outing). My experience, this is an adult-rooted problem and those excluded quickly find the door marked "Exit". - Rewarding scouts for just doing what we expect, living the Scout Oath and Law. We do good turns because it is right and scout. Good scouting: - Flexible, allow scouts to earn their way in a variety of ways. Can't do THE fundraiser, allow alternate possibilities. Scouting should teach scouts to balance their life and responsibilities not bully them into a scouting-only corner. We want scouts who are great sons and brothers, citizens, scholars, athletes, musicians, artists, workers, outdoorsmen,... - Recognize scouts (Good Job!) who live the Scout Oath and Law in front of whole troop . I like this approach where the Marines landed at a troop meeting and thanked those particular scouts. Very cool. http://www.usa-patriotism.com/articles/hp/marines_boyscouts01.htm Why not have the a Christmas party for whole troop and have Salvation Army or Marine drop in and recognize particular scouts? Your SM gets a lump of coal this Christmas, a tradition for those who are bad. My $0.02

"...the BSA signed a memorandum of understanding that cements a partnership aimed at improving the Scouting experience for boys and girls with print disabilities. Bookshares cool online library (bookshare.org) allows Scouts in your pack, troop, team, or crew to listen to books, see words and hear them read as they are highlighted on a screen, read in Braille, and much more. The best part? Its free for U.S. students with a qualified print disability (visual impairment, a physical disability, or a learning or reading disability)..." more info http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/bks-scout.pdf http://blog.bookshare.org/2011/12/02/boy-scout-manuals-on-bookshare/

Outstanding oratory. Now there's an Eagle Scout. My $0.02

BSA is buying another 2700 acres "...to create a contiguous path for scouts to trek from the BSAs property to the New River Gorge National River.. the BSA will land bank it for the time being, but that it will likely be incorporated into their trekking program to provide multi-night hiking opportunities from The Summit to the New River Gorge beginning in 2014...working with the National Park Service and the BSA to create a string of pearls to make sure scouts can get from one site to another." http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x229374631/Boy-Scouts-ready-to-purchase-more-land No word on purchase price. The previous owner Twelve and Six West Virginia Partners LLC (a Texas company?) will keep mineral rights to property while BSA will be obligated to treat the land as if it were Park Service property (???). Another $0.02,

It can be tedious to find and some reporting differences exist. I found this excellent link from asm 411 http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=220141 1985: 27,173 membership: 1,000,000+ http://usscouts.org/usscouts/eagle/numbers.asp OR scouting.org 1991 - 28,016 membership: 988,270 1992 - 31,791 1993 - 32,534 1994 - 37,512 1995 - 30,240 1996 - 35.039 OR 37,711 1997 - 37,880 OR 40,296 1998 - 38,987 OR 41,167 from scouting.org (search year in review) 2000: 40,029 membership: 1,003,691 2001: 43,665 2002: 49,328 2003: 49,151 2004: 50,377 2005: 49,895 2006: 51,728 2007: 51,742 membership: 913,588 2008: 2009: membership: 898,556 http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/EagleScouts.aspx 2010: 56,176 doubled output of 20 years ago! My $0.02(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

from Natale Davis, Miss Minnesota "I was invited to participate in a training video for Boy Scout troop leaders working with scouts with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other "neurobiological diagnoses." Filming happened today (11/26/2011?)! It's amazing how serendipitous life can be! Right before I won Miss Minnesota, I met a woman named Mary Wangerin who happens to be a St. Olaf alumnus. Her son George is my brother's age, has Asperger's Syndrome, and is an Eagle Scout. Because of this chance meeting, my mom, brother, and I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in this training video, which will hopefully one day be distributed nationally to educate troop leaders about Boy Scouts with special needs. It was so special to hear Trevor's perspective on his Boy Scout experience. When asked what advice he would give to kids with Asperger's Syndrome who wanted to become Eagle Scouts like him, he said they should keep trying and never give up, just like the Little Engine that Could: "I think I can! I think I can!." Well said, Trev! A huge thank you to Mary for including my family and me in this advocacy project! I can't wait to see the finished product!" Me too. I encourage other Miss America contestants to do training videos for the BSA. My $0.02, link: http://nataliedavis.weebly.com/1/post/2011/11/asd-advocacy-governor-dayton-autism-society-fraser-and-boy-scouts-of-americaoh-yeah-and-miss-america-preparation-and-my-st-olaf-senior-recital.html

Scouts Canada CEO Janet Yale leaves organization http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/21/scouts-canada-janet-yale.html(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

It appears from the Moot site that individual registrations are not accepted - you have to be a part of a contingent - so councils will have a lot of power in that regard. Why? We're talking about 18-25 yr old adults, why not treat them as such. They are old enough to vote, work, sign contracts, go off to college, drink beer, buy firearms, marry, enlist, fight, ... The BSA is too 13yr-old centric, no make that 10yr-old centric. Cut the umbilical. Sigh ... my generation's MOOT was called Woodstock. My $0.01

"I fear we will eventually be sued out of existence." If our incompetence (real and perceived) does not drop membership sufficiently to cause our demise first. My $0.02(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Boy Scout troop leader catches fire at flag-retirement ceremony http://www.nbc-2.com/story/16012088/boy-scout-troop-leader Watch the interview. I like how Mr.Birch handled his unfortunate accident. Imagine being prepared and knowing what to do when something goes wrong - old school scouting. No excuse-making or hiding, he came forward bandaged, honest, cheerful, and good humored about the accident afterwards. Scout salute and get well card to Mr. Tom Birch. My $0.02,

Mitchell Paige (Pejic) - USMC, awarded Medal of Honor for actions at Battle of Guadalcanal, Eagle Scout.