RememberSchiff

Lets refrain from personal attacks . Thanks, RS

The Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger program is a partnership between the National Park Service and the Boy Scouts of America. The program invites Scouts and Cub Scouts to participate in educational and/or volunteer service projects at national park sites. These activities spark their awareness of the national parks and provide Scouts with the opportunity to explore their national parks and learn more about protecting our natural and cultural resources. Scouts are awarded certificates and/or patches after meeting certain requirements of the program. More at information at sources: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/youthprograms/scout-ranger.htm?fbclid=IwAR2H24iGOybhvOeEYjIJJ2UdOJ_y0ztPaNGp_9_ZaJECsDOXI9UHUJpP3Vs https://www.wate.com/news/smoky-mountains/great-smoky-mountains-national-park-to-offer-scout-ranger-patches/

My unit does this informally. Allows the unregistered knowledge expert to focus on teaching scouts and not BSA paperwork.

@DannyG good point. This topic is Girl's Troop YPT on a family campout. I split recent "legal settlement and abuse" posts to its own new topic. Note to OP @dangale

Double dip? ... here is an Eagle Scout candidate who completed double projects! “I have one more merit badge to earn before I can get my Eagle Award,” scout Ben Arnold said. “But even when I get it I plan to stay active in Scouts for a while because my brother Eli is still involved.” “I think what I like most about Scouting is the sense of community I get from my troop,” he said. Source with photos: https://www.yesweekly.com/news/jamestown_news/scout-combines-two-projects-into-one-eagle-award/article_4bac37ac-4747-11ee-8cf5-1fb0b2be3a64.html

Update Aug 24, 2023: “The owner has abandoned the 42ft S/V Amokura (which remains aground on Johnson's Reef) and claims not to have the financial means to deal with this situation,” said U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Officer Ricardo Castrodad. A week after the grounding, the National Park Service (NPS) learned the vessel owner’s insurance does not cover salvage of a grounded vessel, said Virgin Islands National Park Program Coordinator Elsa Alvear. “The NPS must therefore identify funds and award a contract to a local salvage company,” said Alvear. To make a path for the grounded vessel northward to deeper water, trained coral restoration divers have relocated more than 400 coral colonies and fragments of colonies to a site adjacent to Johnson’s Reef. There has been no evidence of fuel spillage or other pollutants. "Neither the Coast Guard nor the NPS would comment on potential fines or penalties for the vessel’s owner, citing an ongoing investigation." More at source: https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/owner-of-boat-grounded-on-johnson-s-reef-has-abandoned-the-vessel/article_281a929c-7ecc-5d9d-b6b0-7fac610e14bb.html

"This is one of those opportunities we've been working towards to help our community more when they need us its unfortunate it had to be like this and as soon as we heard about it all of us jumped on and serving community as best we can" commented scout Chaysen Tanaka. "Boy Scouts say there is still much to be done to help others on Maui, and they will continue serving their community." More at source, including a photo of what appears to be inside a camp hall turned distribution center. https://www.kitv.com/news/boy-scouts-of-america-helping-with-recovery-efforts-on-maui/article_c864632c-44fa-11ee-a911-cb02b7e2022e.htmlhttps://www.kitv.com/news/boy-scouts-of-america-helping-with-recovery-efforts-on-maui/article_c864632c-44fa-11ee-a911-cb02b7e2022e.html

Excerpts from Kids Are Alright columnist Carl Kieke farewell: Its purpose was to provide a spot in the newspaper for Eagle Scout and Girl Scout Gold Award recipients to be recognized. It quickly expanded to include any youth groups or individuals who were providing service to the community – showing that not all kids were troublemakers. On Aug. 21, 2023, column No. 1,522 appeared. It is the final column in the series. Due to changes in the newspaper, the section is being discontinued. I want to thank my readers over those 30 years. I would occasionally be met by someone who mentioned that they were readers of my column. I have been active in the Boy Scout program since joining Boy Scout Troop 212 at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, as an assistant scoutmaster. It quickly became my hobby of choice as I went through school in Sherman and Denton and finally arrived in Abilene in 1978 to begin work for the Reporter-News. Through the column I have become more familiar with Girl Scouts, 4-H and other youth programs. I retired from the Reporter-News in 2007 but continued the column, first as a paid columnist, then as a labor of love. But times change. I’m not sure how many people actually read the column now, due to changes in the way people get their news in the 21st century. I hope it has provided amusement, information and news. Perhaps various groups have been able to “steal” ideas and programs for their own use. (...guilty) Thank you for your readership. Carl Kieke Scout Salute! Your informative and kind columns will be missed. Perhaps a display of his columns at the National Scout Museum or in the Journalism merit badge pamphlet. More at source: https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/opinion/2023/08/27/kids-are-alright-column-ends-30-year-run-in-abilene-reporter-news/70642077007/

@dangale welcome to scouter.com

At a Court of Honor gathering held Monday, Aug. 21, at Eden Prairie United Methodist Church (MN), Troop 342’s flags were ceremoniously retired (after 57 years). The proceedings had the look and feel of a funeral. “They’ll be stored in dignity and honor,” says John Klutchka, former scoutmaster. “When it comes time for these flags to meet again, they’ll be ready.” ... The answer wasn’t to shut it down and let the Scouting experience fade away, but to merge with another local troop, Eden Prairie Troop 695. “Combined, the two troops will have about 40 Scouts,” says Scoutmaster Brad Knorr. “That number is better for the scouts and better for our volunteers.” This merger isn’t unique, not for Eden Prairie and not for troops across the country. At one time, Eden Prairie was home to five Boy Scout troops. It now has two. More at Source including COH photos and reminisces : https://www.eplocalnews.org/2023/08/26/ep-boy-scout-troop-342-retires-merges-forward/

If the purpose of the event is 1. show community members that bikes can be safe, economical, green alternative transportation (show pollution reduction) and/or 2. bike trail maintenance (erosion control) I could see approving conservation hours.

The “Strengthen the Arm of Liberty” campaign coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America in 1949. At that time, J.P. “Jack” Whitaker was president of his automobile battery cable company, as well as commissioner of the Scouts’ Kansas City Area Council and was considering the best way both to mark the BSA’s anniversary and to demonstrate the better values of the nation. ...Whitaker chose to seed the land with replicas of the Statue of Liberty. The Friedley-Voshardt Co. of Chicago, a manufacturer of metal ceiling sheathing, supplied the 290 pounds of sheet copper statue parts. It also created a method for assembling the 42 sheets of stamped copper around interior braces to support the facsimiles of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi’s “Liberty Enlightening the World,” aka the Statue of Liberty. The copper was about the thickness of a half-dollar. The statues were installed from 1949 to 1952 in 39 states, as well as in several U.S. possessions and territories. George P. Freeman, who was executive director of the Robert E. Lee Boy Scouts Council (VA) in 1951, recalled for a 1978 newspaper article that the downtown clothier Berry-Burk underwrote the approximately $1,000 cost of shipping the $350 Liberty kit to Richmond, VA. The cost of the packaged materials was defrayed by a penny donated by every member of the Richmond Scouts.  The kit included instructions for constructing a scaled-down version of the New York City pedestal and the 11-pointed island base, which was the responsibility of the Scouts. Richmond’s Liberty stands on a base made of city street paving stones. .. More at source, including photos and the maintenance efforts over the years by local citizens. https://richmondmagazine.com/news/richmond-history/chimborazo-park-statue-of-liberty/

While we worry about attracting MBC's to commit $25, a competitor attracts corporations who commit $1M. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230823647701/en/DHL-Supply-Chain-and-Girl-Scouts-of-the-USA-Partner-to-Create-New-Logistics-Patch-Curriculum-Aimed-at-Inspiring-Female-Supply-Chain-Leaders-of-Tomorrow

"Free" and "partnered (approved) with BSA" caught my attention though I don't know what restrictions, if any, apply.

Morgan credits his father, David, a retired minister and seminary professor, with taking him fishing, hunting, and on nature hikes all his life. “I think my interest in conservation came from my dad taking me out into nature at a young age. I think otherwise I would have loved just playing video games and staying in my room. But he always pulled me outside to fish, and at first, I didn't like it. Now, I've really come to love fishing as a time for fellowship and having fun and friends.” During his Scouting journey, Morgan has earned 66 merit badges, 9 palms, 7 medals, 5 knots, and 10 Boy Scouts of America (BSA) outdoor and environmental awards, including BSA’s most prestigious conservation award — The BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award with Silver Honors. Only 178 Scouts in the Boy Scouts’ 112-year history earned this award, which required four research and conservation service projects from four different environmental categories. Morgan will be an incoming freshman at SMU Lyle School of Engineering and dreams of a career in water conservation. More at source including his projects: https://www.smu.edu/Lyle/Latest-at-Lyle/2023/Morgan-Jones-Student-Spotlight

@AnotherScouterwelcome to scouter.com .

New free explorer program to give hands-on firefighting experience   "SAVANNAH (Aug. 16, 2023) – Savannah Fire in partnership with Boy Scouts of America have come together to create an explorer program aimed at giving young adults interested in a firefighting career an invaluable experience. Explorers will take part in real-life training with plenty of hands-on Fire and EMS experiences. They will engage in practical exercises and simulations to develop essential firefighting and lifesaving skills. The program will meet the first and third Tuesday of each month and is open to anyone, ages 14 to 20. Applications are now open. ... Savannah Fire is covering the cost of the explorer program making it free to those who apply. " More at Source: https://www.savannahga.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2818

"According to a spokeswoman for the FBI, John C. Shores Jr.,54, of Omaha, was charged via federal complaint with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted enticement of a minor. John C. Shores Jr. was an active Boy Scout Scoutmaster and Commissioner for the Mid-America Council for Boy Scouts of America. The charges are the result of a Douglas County Sheriff’s investigation involving the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. On August 21, 2023, Shores was indicted on those charges. The FBI Omaha field office is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims. If you have information on this ongoing investigation or believe your child or other children may have been victimized by John Shores, please go to this FBI contact link or call the FBI Omaha field office at 402-493-8688." More at source: https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/fbi-omaha-seeks-help-identifying-victims-of-former-scout-leader

"This video was presented at the 2022 Distinguished Citizens Dinner honoring First Responders, Emergency Room Doctors and Nurses and Hospitals. David King, a Scout from Aloha Council, and his mom were completing a Hiking Merit Badge 15 mile hike when they came across lost couple and their dog. David saved the couple and their dog by using the tools he learned in Scouting, like making a stretcher. "

@pbcheesehead welcome to scouter.com

I am seeing fewer volunteer MBC's and more commercial (museums, farms, colleges, camps, canoe outfitters, etc.) MBP's. I call them Merit Badge Programs as who knows who the MBC is. Sometimes it is the host instructor, sometimes it is a proxy. Host instructor collects fees (scout/parent paid), the proxy (a registered scouter) handles bureaucracy and together they fulfill YP, sort of. More often, these MBP's are rushed one meeting and nearly devoid of the Adult Association Method. Just have parent register scout online with a credit card. Oh don't forget to fill out online workbook with online answers before first class. What is the Total Cost of Advancement these days for a scout, scouter, unit? My $0.01, time for coffee.

"As America has transformed, so, too, has the A.T. — changes that have inspired resistance, ridicule and relief. Originally 2,050 miles, it is now almost 2,200 miles. And it continues to get longer." Yes longer...but that seems true of all old trails I hike these days ...longer and uphill. "Some have proposed extending the A.T. from Maine into Canada by adding New Brunswick and Quebec — a path already known as the “International Appalachian Trail” — and perhaps going even farther." In the link below, there is a cool northward scrolling trail map starting at the southern terminus and ending at the northern terminus. Showing current trail and previous routes. Explanations for route changes - real estate development, greener spaces/better trails, moonshiners, smell (chickens), Superfund sites() https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/interactive/2023/appalachian-trail-length-route-changes/

Agree, our new YP Executive has been onboard for 4 months and we have yet to hear from him.

Great story about helping others. "Troop 129 (Las Vegas) started by donating the money they had raised from popcorn sales. It escalated to having all the troops in the valley working together. They raised more than $8,000 in monetary and material supplies in under 72 hours. And they are not stopping anytime soon as they are accepting donations through Sunday, September 10." More at source, including the scout bringing the idea to his troop, their plan, and Council support. Scout Salute, https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/las-vegas-boy-scouts-raising-thousands-for-maui-wildfire-victims/

EIN Presswire 8/16/2023 Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America, the feature-length film scheduled for Netflix release, was directed by Brian Knappenberger. The documentary includes exclusive interviews with survivors, whistleblowers, and former employees, and prominently features Zero Abuse Project Board of Directors member, Detective Michael Johnson. As The Boy Scouts' former Youth Protection Director turned whistleblower, Johnson provides crucial insight into the inner workings of The Boy Scouts and speaks to the internal decisions the organization made leading to decades of failed leadership. “One of the things that they had in their marketing messages is, 'The Boys Scouts has a rigorous application and screening process,' and that's not true, and it's never been true," says Michael Johnson in the film's trailer. "I'm here to tell you that the organization is still not safe for boys and girls.” My question, will there be a response to above statement from the current BSA Youth Protection Executive, Glen Pounder? More at source: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/650253106/zero-abuse-project-recognizes-the-new-documentary-scouts-honor-the-secret-files-of-the-boy-scouts-of-america/ https://www.einpresswire.com/article/650253106/zero-abuse-project-recognizes-the-new-documentary-scouts-honor-the-secret-files-of-the-boy-scouts-of-america