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Major carriers have yet to make payments, citing coverage disputes and due process concerns "Insurance carriers that declined to take part in the Boy Scouts of America Settlement Trust have been billed a total of $6.99 billion since September 2024, according to a recent update issued by the trustee overseeing the sexual abuse settlement fund. In a status report dated June 2, trustee Barbara J. Houser said no payments had been received from those insurers as of May 30. She noted that none of the non-participating carriers had confirmed any intention to make payments toward the abuse-related claims." More at source: https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/legal-insights/nonsettling-insurers-billed-billions-in-boy-scouts-abuse-settlement-fund-539575.aspx

Update 6/20/25 Camp Geiger (ST. JOSEPH, Mo): "This summer, scouts are getting the chance to develop and grow their skills as innovators, part of the first ever Invention Scouts Program launched by the local Pony Express Council thanks to a $30,000 donation from former Camp Geiger scout and now nuclear physicist Rob Duncan, a leading Texas Tech physics professor with more than 50 patents to his name." "This makes us only the second program in the country like this. And what an exciting opportunity for these scouts to really be the first generation to experience it," said Dr. Ryan Maderak, director of Benedictine College’s astronomy major and a top advisor for Invention Scouts. "It's not changing scouting. It's just enhancing it.” .... "Information for 21st Century Scouting will be published on the Pony Express Council's website by the first week of July. A full schedule and registration will also open by the first week of August." There is also an upcoming Invention Convention at Cub Scout Day Camp listed on the Pony Express Council website. https://ponyexpressbsa.org/camping-and-activities/cub-scout-day-camp More at source: https://www.newspressnow.com/news/top-stories/2025/06/19/camp-geiger-debuts-all-new-invention-scouts-program-one-of-the-first-in-the-nation/

@Trooper721 welcome to scouter.com. There is a similar recent discussion in topic https://www.scouter.com/topic/33917-lawsuit-settlement/

Update 6/18/25: Middle Tennessee Scouts learn skilled trades, get badges at Lebanon camp (good read, with photos) https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/careers/2025/06/18/middle-tennessee-scouts-roy-grindstaff-skilled-trades-lebanon/84229260007/

Will this take off where geocaching did not? So is this sort of Train the Trainer program? IMO scouting is real world with an outdoor classroom. Though fun, this seems just the opposite but then I have never caught and trained a Pokemon. My $0.02 or virtual money equivalent

"Even though the water was only a few inches high, it was flowing quickly into the nearby creek. So, rescue crews strapped helmets and life jackets on each child and carefully guided them across."

@JMF welcome to scouter.com

@Evereatapinecone welcome to scouter.com.

Now for something completely different. The Scout Association of Japan is teaming with Pokémon to host a “Become a Pokémon Trainer!” program for kids in Japan! Aspiring Trainers (scouts) "will go through a variety of missions to learn what it takes to become a Pokémon Trainer. With lessons in teamwork, respect, and discipline, there’s a lot more that goes into it than just catching Pokémon. The program is available across many regions of Japan, with limited spots for those who want to apply." Sources: https://nintendowire.com/news/2025/06/16/pokemon-is-launching-a-special-boy-scouts-program-in-japan-where-kids-can-become-trainers/ https://saiganak.com/event/pokemon-scout-2025-summer/

@ScoutsMama welcome to scouter.com

"What began as a local initiative in Iași, a city in northeastern Romania, has become a national movement for sustainable mobility, civic education, and youth-led advocacy. "Scarf on the Bicycle," a project initiated in 2022 by the Constantin Sapatino Local Scout Centre, has, over the years, transformed into a symbol of determination and collaboration for a greener, more bicycle-friendly Romania." Cities like Iași, which have experienced rapid development, are now struggling with congestion and poor air quality. That’s why a bicycle and scooter-friendly city should adopt a coherent public policy in this regard: dedicated bike lanes, adapted legislation, road safety education campaigns, bicycle parking spaces, and facilities that encourage alternative mobility. As Scouts, we believe in leading by example and in our contribution to a healthier and more responsible community. Miha Scout leader from Iași More at source: https://www.scout.org/news/scarf-bicycle-romanian-scouts-lead-national-movement

@madrivereric welcome to scouter.com

Update 6/10/2025: "The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) , which purchased the 1,776-acre property for more than $7 million from the Mid-America Council of the Boy Scouts of America in 2023, announced May 30 that the expansive ranch will become officially a part of the Loess Hills State Forest through a land transfer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources." More at source: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2025/06/10/little-sioux-scout-ranch-deadly-2008-tornado-iowa-dnr-loess-hills-state-forest/84131622007/

...is that all there is? ...something is missing (I hear a Peggy Lee song in my head) Saw no listing on Safe Swim, Safety Afloat. There should be a Head Table - Required Training for All. YPT/SYT should go there! First Aid training? Basic First Aid/CPR for Cub Scout Leaders. Beyond that Wilderness First Aid. We can do better than 10 min brain dumps. We learn more from our mistakes and mistakes of others - discuss incident report examples. Is training leaders to deliver the Program about learning process or preparing for adventure? Another $0.01,

I'm baffled. 1. The SM/ASM required training appears glaring incomplete both from an official/legal and an outdoors/adventure standpoint. 2. Course duration appears so short as to question content and usefulness. Trained for what exactly? My $0.02,

6/10/25 Update article written by Eagle John Shell: “There are no fish here,” one of the Boy Scouts in our group said, looking disappointed. I glanced out at the water. He was right. We were in Orange Beach, Alabama, for a January campout. Nine Scouts from Troop 147 and their parents had come here because it was supposed to be good for fishing. I was 16 at the time and was one of the oldest kids in the group. In the end, all the equipment we had bought, all the research we had done looking for places to fish—none of it panned out. I was lucky enough to grow up with a dad who knew where great fishing spots were, and I am grateful every day for those experiences. But for these kids and their parents, the best spots no longer held the amount of fish they used to. I wanted to do something about it... Continued at source: https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2-summer/treehugger/eagle-reef-fish-populations-were-disappearing-alabama-boy-scout-did-something-about Find out how you can support the Eagle Reef project at theeaglereef.com.

Our manufacturer launch rods were often bent and pads flimsy so we created our own.

Organized by branch and position with course numbers, names, and time length https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Position-Trained-Requirements-Jun2025.pdf Note Youth Protection Training (YPT) has been replaced with Safeguarding Youth Protection (SYT). https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/

Ugh. Where? Remember, not so long ago, when the Guide To Safe Scouting was available as a freely downloadable PDF which one could easily SEARCH, PRINT, HIGHLIGHT? Instead now we have an online version which is extremely difficult to search. Very tedious. Let's go back to a downloadable PDF with release date and version number clearly printed (BOLD, LARGE FONT) on cover and each page footnote and the National download page clearly showing current release date and version number. P.S. Okay I did find some online downloadable PDF's. 2019: https://scoutingevent.com/Download/80372330/OR/Guide_to_Safe_Scouting.pdf with CSE Michael Surbaugh 2021: https://pathwaytoadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/guide-to-safe-scouting.pdf 404 Not Found: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34416.pdf My $0.02,

@oldasdirteagle welcome to scouter.com .

Boy Scouts Troop 74 from Montville, NJ, today soared their way to victory, earning the title of National Champion at the 23rd American Rocketry Challenge National Finals held at Great Meadow in The Plains, VA. Boy Scouts Troop 74, whose team name is “The Troop 74 Rocketeers,” outperformed a record-breaking 1,001 teams that entered the competition at the start of the year and bested the top 100 teams competing at National Finals on Saturday. This is the team’s first time qualifying for National Finals. Their precision in designing, building, and launching a model rocket was unmatched by any other team in the country. Boy Scouts Troop 74 students will take home $20,000 for their engineering prowess and will represent the United States in the International Rocketry Challenge at the Paris Air Show in June. ... “Today feels surreal—we weren’t expecting to win,” said Makayo (Mak), a Boy Scouts Troop 74 teammate. “Seeing a score of two from another team after the first round was crazy compared to our score of 16, but we stayed optimistic for our second launch. Once we realized we were in the top 10, we were excited that we might actually have a chance to win. Our biggest challenge was building a consistent rocket. Our launch tower took nearly two hours to assemble today, and balancing it against strong winds was tricky, but we were prepared. A huge shoutout to Chase, who couldn’t be here today. We worked hard as a team— Chase was in charge of management and scheduling, I led design and building, and Thomas assisted with assembly and launch preparation. For future teams competing in the American Rocketry Challenge, our biggest piece of advice is to be consistent.” Boy Scouts Troop 74, a third-year Boy Scouts of America (BSA) team, excels in rocketry through innovative design, consistency, and function, driven by Scout spirit. The team consists of three dedicated scouts: Mak, Thomas, and Chase. They collaborate to engineer model rockets, learning more about aerodynamics for successful launches. They ensure consistent builds for reliable flights and prioritize functional designs that soar. The team’s victory follows months of dedicated preparation designing, building, and testing a rocket capable of meeting rigorous mission parameters set by the competitions’ sponsors – the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), National Association of Rocketry, and 15 other industry, government, and academia partners. To qualify for the finals, each team designed, built, and launched a model rocket that safely carried two eggs to an altitude of 790 feet, stayed airborne for between 41 and 44 seconds, and returned the rocket to the ground safely. At the National Finals, a Friday night coin flip determined that competing teams had to launch the rockets to 815 feet in the first round of competition. The top 42 teams conducted a second launch that was required to reach 765 feet. “Today’s National Finals was a success for all 100 competing teams, who showcased the future of aerospace innovation – built on teamwork, innovative thinking, and practical problem solving,” said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. “The Boy Scouts Troop 74 Rocketeers exemplified these qualities. After besting 1,001 teams, the team’s incredible achievement will propel them to the international stage at the Paris Air Show in June and set them on a bright and promising path to a career in STEM.” Scout Salute, More at sources including photos: https://rocketcontest.org/news/new-jersey-team-named-national-champion-in-worlds-largest-rocketry-challenge/ https://www.tapinto.net/towns/montville/sections/community-life/articles/paris-bound-montville-boy-scouts-win-national-rocketry-competition

Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan found a photo of Brownie Taylor. Nicely done. Sources: https://www.facebook.com/GSHOM?ref=embed_post https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/girl-scouts-unveil-rare-childhood-085528203.html

FYI: The 2024 Financial Report is now posted there. It is a 25 page independent audit compiled by Price Waterhouse Cooper.

@danimal508 welcome to scouter.com

"The scouts of Troop 51 recently took a backpacking trip on the Chattooga River and hit the trail near Licklog Falls in Oconee County. Twenty-one scouts and adults made it on the hike. The trip was called the “Bradley Hawkins Memorial Hike” in memory of one of their former scout leaders and Eagle Scouts, who died as a result of a skateboarding accident in November 2021 at the age of 21. When Hawkins was a scout, he showed the troop the Chattooga Trail." Scout Salute Troop photo at source: https://www.yourpickenscounty.com/troop-51-scouts-hike-chattooga-trail/ https://www.sctrails.net/trails/trail/chattooga