RememberSchiff

Minsi Trails Council is selling 900 acre Trexler Scout Reservation property in Monroe County, PA (Poconos) to help cover its $2.6 million conribution to the Trust. "The council said it will take out a $4.5 million loan to help cover the debt and operations." Starting in 2024, all Minsi Trails camping will occur at Camp Minsi on the 400-acre Stillwater Lake in Coolbaugh and Tobyhanna townships. “Respectfully, this is quite possibly the most horrible decision that council leadership could have made,” Matthew Miles of Palmerton posted in a Facebook response to Minsi Trails Council’s post. “Thanks to the donation of the land by General Harry C. Trexler a century ago, scouting was given a chance to grow and flourish in Eastern Pennsylvania. Now, because no one wants to explore all options, or think outside of the box, this land will be gone. There is zero chance of getting this land back.” “We were told nothing was going to change with the camps,” Peter Felton said. “To consolidate into one camp is ridiculous. It will require infrastructure. [Trexler] has two dining halls, a pool and an area built for the Cub Scouts, which Minsi would need to put in. This camp has been here since I was a child and it’s a legacy going away.” In the last ten years, Council Boy Scout membership has declined from over 10,000 youth to 4,500. Minsi Trails Council will also sell/relocate its Service Center and Scout Store. https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-trexler-scout-reservation-closing-20220317-724t6mcsnnf5xf5qasshfjby6y-story.html https://www.minsitrails.org/document/mtcstatement/208688 https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2022/03/local-boy-scouts-council-to-sell-poconos-camp-to-pay-for-sexual-abuse-settlements.html

Agree with others. Delegate to someone who knows. IMHO, just heat water for whatever - tea, hot chocolate, coffee,... For summer camp, I bring a pour over brew cone, filter cone, and my own ground. Otherwise, I bring Folgers coffee crystals.

Scouts for SDG Sustainable Development Goals . 17 goals are listed. 1. No Poverty 2. Zero Hunger 3. Good Health and Well-Being 4. Quality Education 5. Gender Equality 6. Clean Water and Sanitation 7. Affordable and Clean Energy 8. Decent Jobs and Economic Growth 9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure 10. Reduced Inequalities 11. Sustainable Communities 12. Responsible Consumption and Production 13. Climate Action 14. Life Below Water 15. Life on Land 16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions 17. Partnerships for the Goals -

SCOUTS SUPPORT REFUGEES AND FAMILIES FLEEING UKRAINE ACROSS BORDERS "My Scouting service for past few days has taken on a different dimension. I feel that I am doing what I should be doing - it's such an inner urge to act and help as much as I can!” said Albin, a young Scout volunteering with Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP) in the bordering areas. https://www.scout.org/fr/node/643051

As I understand, Cape Cod & Islands Council is its own district. https://www.scoutscapecod.org/

Amazing video, here is a snapshot. “The preservation is beyond imagination,” Bound told NBC News by phone on Wednesday, adding that the ship’s name could still be seen emblazoned across the stern. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ernest-shackletons-ship-endurance-antarctica-sea-106-years-1915-rcna19264

"A team of adventurers, marine archaeologists and technicians located the wreck at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, east of the Antarctic Peninsula, using undersea drones. Battling sea ice and freezing temperatures, the team had been searching for more than two weeks in a 150-square-mile area around where the ship went down in 1915." Enclosed and crushed by Antarctic ice and sinking in Nov, 1915 Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/climate/endurance-wreck-found-shackleton.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endurance_(1912_ship)

...it is no surprise that the mass tort trial lawyers are now in position— consistent with their sketchy shakedown playbook—to hold up the proceedings in exchange for a massive payday, that the costs of the proceedings themselves are skyrocketing, and that there is now a real risk that all of this will dilute the money available for the original victims whose claims were the impetus for the bankruptcy filing in the first place.[13] For example, recent reports are that the bill for the Boy Scouts’s professionals and those hired by the official creditors’ committees will be more than $205 million, which is approaching the size of the trust for survivors that has been part of ongoing settlement discussions. Experts have noted with alarm that the bills for lawyers and others in connection with the fraught proceedings are on a path to being more than 40% of the Boy Scouts of America’s self-reported assets, whereas in past mega-bankruptcies the fees are more like 2-3%, and certainly less than 10%. Source: The Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy , March 7, 2022 Corporate Bankruptcy Gets A Shakedown From Mass Tort Trial Lawyers by Lawrence A. Friedman https://www.harvard-jlpp.com/corporate-bankruptcy-gets-a-shakedown-from-mass-tort-trial-lawyers-lawrence-a-friedman/ Also recommended commentary: Bankruptcy and the Boy Scouts by Michael Krauss https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkrauss/2022/03/08/bankruptcy-and-the-boy-scouts/?sh=314fea805093

During the pandemic, IMHO the most relevant merit badge became Public Health. Now with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I would add Citizenship in the World. From requirements: 3. Do the following: a. Pick a current world event. In relation to this current event, discuss with your counselor how a country’s national interest, history, and its relationship with other countries might affect areas such as its security, its economy, its values, and the health of its citizens. b. Select a foreign country and discuss with your counselor how its geography, natural resources, and climate influence its economy and its global partnerships with other countries. 4. Do TWO of the following: a. Explain international law and how it differs from national law. Explain the role of international law and how international law can be used as a tool for conflict resolution. My $0.02,

Those links are very informative. Thank you. ~ RS

I have read accounts of scouts collecting clothing and food. Please post more. https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/news/scouts-organise-collection-for-ukraine-3597126 Members of the Polish community in Munster, many with links to the Irish scouting movement, hope to dispatch over a dozen carloads of sleeping bags, thermal blankets, hot food flasks, and medical and sanitary supplies from a warehouse at the Ballycurreen Industrial Estate in Cork to Gorajec on the Poland/Ukraine border, where thousands of refugees have crossed from the Ukrainian city of Lviv since the Russian invasion began last week. Mia Skowron, the secretary of the MyCork Polish Association, and chief scout of Polish Scouting, said for Ireland’s Polish community the humanitarian effort is deeply personal. https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40818597.html UK’s National Polish Scouts Association (ZHP) has put out a list of items they need. Already donations of clothing have been vast, so they are now asking people to concentrate on items that can be used for children and babies, and wounded civilians. These include blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, tents, backpacks, thermos flasks, flashlights, prams and child seats, children’s clothing, painkillers, tourniquets, diapers, sanitary napkins, toilet paper, cleaning products, mineral water (small bottles), dry food, and formula milk. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/perthshires-polish-rally-collect-ukraine-26354418 Helping others at all times,

Back in the day, my patrol attempted to modify our middleweight Columbia and Schwinn bikes for riding in snow. Our idea was to wrap manila rope around tires to improve grip in snow. This did not interfere with the rear Bendix brake which operated by back pedaling. The fenders had to be removed for clearance and rope diameter was limited by the forks. Our swing chains could not clear forks. In scouting, we learn from our failures - knot tying, fire building, Klondike sled building, and so it was with our bike snow tires. Plan B, wait for snow to melt. 😄 And this morning, I found this! This is the way. The Leatherstocking Council received a grant from the Edwin J. Wadas Foundation to purchase a dozen new snow bikes, three dozen mountain bikes and safety equipment for Scouts visiting Camp Kingsley. The snow bikes or “fat tire” bikes will be used year-round so Scouts can navigate snowy ground and rough terrain ideally suited to these types of bikes. The bikes are instrumental to helping the Scouts to complete their biking merit badges and for exercise with their units when they camp for the weekend. ... More at Source: https://romesentinel.com/stories/grant-helps-scouts-make-tracks-all-year-long-leatherstocking-bsa,130441

interesting letter to the editor from a selectman and a former selectman which begins: “From a Cub Scout’s first hike in a local park to the thrill of our High Adventure bases, from our backyard to the backcountry, our outdoor ethics guide us to be responsible outdoor citizens — protecting our natural world for generations to come and being considerate of other visitors. Scouting has a long, proud tradition of conservation service to the nation.” — Boy Scouts of America ... The directors of the Connecticut Yankee Council have a duty to protect the fiscal health of the organization, but they also have a duty to protect the organization’s basic mission. Again from the Boy Scouts of America website: “Since its first appearance in the 1955 printing of the Boy Scout Handbook, the Outdoor Code has reminded Scouts to be conservation-minded.” Source: https://www.ctinsider.com/shoreline/article/Readers-write-Protecting-Deer-Lake-is-part-of-16977604.php

... the Outdoor Code

Update 03/02/2022: Trust for Public Land (TPL) Plans to make a Second Offer for Deer Lake http://digitalpub.chron.com/publication/?i=739966&article_id=4224364&view=articleBrowser&ver=html5

Update: 3/01/2022 Deer Lake to be Sold for Private Development. In a surprise move that shocked many town and state officials, the Connecticut Yankee Council of the Boy Scouts of America announced last week that it had accepted an undisclosed offer for its Deer Lake property, effectively paving the way for development of the entire 250-plus acre parcel. Though the council did issue a statement that would leave open a window until March 31 for consideration of a “superior offer”, most town and state officials have said that the selling price, which is speculated to be twice the appraised value of the property, is unlikely to matched by an offer. ... Trust for Public Land made a bid in mid-February for $2.4 million, which was rejected by the Connecticut Yankee Council, and, according to statements from the council, it has conditionally accepted a bid from Fortitude Capital, LLC for $4.6 million. According to a spokesperson for the council, the CEO of Fortitude capital is Margaret Streicker, who is also a member of the Connecticut Yankee Council’s Board of Directors, further muddying the issue of whether the council was and is negotiating with the town with full transparency. From Connecticut Yankee Council’s website: Reshaping Our Camp Properties to Fund Scouting's Mission: To serve the young people today- and in the future- our Council volunteers and professionals have been evaluating every aspect of our program and business to set Scouting up for success in the 37 communities we serve. While we’ve changed greatly in the last 18 months, more change is necessary to succeed. This can be painful but is necessary, especially when looking at the situation we are in. Our Council is not exempt from the nationwide declines in membership organizations like the BSA have experienced. This, coupled with challenges over the past several years, means our Council needs to make major changes to survive. To make those changes, the Council needs to secure funding and right-size our portfolio of properties to a level we can maintain. Simply put, we own too many properties for the membership we have today. While the outdoors are critical to delivering Scouting’s mission of preparing youth for life, owning property is not. This has been studied by the Council Executive Board for the past year as well as the Board’s Properties Committee. On February 17, the Council Executive Board made the difficult decision to sell Deer Lake Scout Reservation. This decision wasn’t taken lightly and was done with the Scouts of today and tomorrow in mind. While we are divesting from Deer Lake Scout Reservation, the buyer is allowing the Council to lease the property for at least the next three years to operate it as a camp. We recognize the passion behind preserving the outdoors and have had discussions with organizations committed to such while encouraging them to submit a competitive bid that can be accepted by the Board. To that end, the Board has negotiated for a specified window in which it can consider superior offers to the one currently being pursued, and any such offers would need to be received by March 31. The net proceeds from the sale of Deer Lake Scout Reservation will be reinvested into Camp Sequassen and Hoyt Scout Camp to both improve and expand the facilities, programs and infrastructure. As a Council, we’re continuing to evaluate how to best serve the youth of today and prepare us to serve the youth of tomorrow and appreciate the work our volunteers, families and supporters do daily. Rudy Escalante Council President Mark Kraus Scout Executive/ CEO https://www.zip06.com/news/20220301/deer-lake-to-be-sold-for-private-development https://www.ctyankee.org/council-news/reshaping-our-camp-properties-to-fund-scoutings-mission/

Last year, Pachulski Stang helped disseminate an email from another plaintiffs’ lawyer that violated Chapter 11 voting rules. Pachulski’s founder has called the incident an ‘extraordinarily serious error’ That law firm has struck a proposed $2 million settlement over that improper email sent to victims to allegedly dissuade them from voting for the restructuring plan. More behind paywall at source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/boy-scouts-victims-law-firm-strikes-2-million-deal-over-improper-email-11645143922

(U.S. Trustee) Buchbinder argued in a Monday court filing the plan cannot be confirmed if provisions allowing non-debtor third parties to be released from liability without the consent of holders of abuse claim remain in place. He argued that the third-party releases for local Boy Scout councils, certain troop sponsoring organizations and settling insurers violate the due process rights of claimants and are not authorized under the bankruptcy code... Meanwhile, critics of the plan note that, under the changes unveiled Thursday, the BSA appears to be backing away from the findings of its own hired expert regarding the value of abuse claims. The Boy Scouts now assert that the conclusions of Charles Bates have not been agreed to by any other party, and that his conclusions are not a binding estimation of the BSA’s liability. The BSA also said it will consult with abuse claimants’ attorneys who are supporting the plan on what testimony Bates should provide. More at source Randall Chase: https://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/news/article/Judge-delays-start-of-Boy-Scouts-bankruptcy-plan-16911615.php Good-bye Eric Green and now Charles Bates.

Time Magazine article on Boy Scouts and the first National Jamboree in 1937. ...But right from the start the most important figure was a young Washington attorney named James E. West, hired as executive to put the young organization on its feet. James West was no Boy Scout in his youth. He was an orphan and in his boyhood he developed tuberculosis of the hip & knee so that he was an unwelcome inmate at Washington institutions. Over immense handicaps he got himself an education and became a lawyer. Interested in the Y.M.C.A., he was attending a settlement house meeting one evening when his one-lunged automobile disappeared. He found it at the foot of the hill along with a policeman and a badly scared boy. Summoned to court as a complaining witness he acted instead as the boy's attorney, got him off from a charge of operating without a license. Then he went to President Theodore Roosevelt and demanded that a Juvenile Court be created for the District of Columbia. Thereafter T. R. was one of his backers. ... But more fascinating than spectacles, drills or speeches by oldsters about Scout ideals was the extra-curricular activity in which all 25,000 assiduously engaged--swapping. To Washington they had brought a strange assortment of impedimenta: wampum, pine cones, stuffed birds sharks teeth, shells, sponges, live hoot owls pickled scorpions. Texans (dressed in chaps) brought a large consignment of live horned toads. West Virginians brought hunks of coal shellacked for paperweights. Californians brought 20-ft strips of movie film. With these trade goods, the young merchants wandered around, to the wooden fence near the camp of the Bahamians, the barbed wire fence of the Texans, the Paul Bunyan display of the Wisconsin Scouts, the Florida encampment hung with Spanish moss. All day, every day the tent cities echoed with the wrangling of Young America trading what it possessed for something else it wanted. Full news article (very good) https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,788126,00.html Cover: https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19370712,00.html

I was hoping someone would comment that the 1935 Jamboree did not happen. The 1935 National Jamboree in Washington, D.C. would have celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the BSA. At nearly the last minute, President Roosevelt canceled the event due to a polio outbreak. Every registered troop in every Council was entitled to send one Scout – to fulfill President Roosevelt’s wish that, every nook and cranny of America be represented in the Jamboree. Source: https://oa-bsa.org/history/1935-national-jamboree-cancelled

I have been unable to find the name of the forester or a documented harvest/replanting plan or even a tree survey. Depends on the forest. If a forester cut nine of the most marketable (lumber $$$) trees on my one acre. I would likely lose 3 mighty oaks and six very tall eastern white pines ...goodbye windbreak and a large amount of shade. Dead and diseased trees would only be cut for access and removing timber. IMHO, if council leadership needs a bylaw to follow common business practice for bidding on projects, time for new leaders.

YES. Whittlin Jim's column. Here's a scouter who is keeping the faith. https://www.channelingwhittlinjim.com/

What struck me in the article was the sentence " build a shower building/storm shelter (tornado) which will house up to 200 people at a cost of $250,000." which IMHO seemed an under estimate. I found "pictures of what the proposed building will resemble. These are not actual photos, just a representation of the proposed building" at Prairielands Council website https://prairielandsbsa.org/pages/camp-drake-selective-timber-harvest Prairielands Council (well the SE at least) viewpoint I did not find a forestry management plan there, just general statements: This harvest should take place between late 2021 through Winter of 2022. Pike Lumber Company from Indiana will be doing the work. The supervisor for our project, Dane Larsen is a Forester who has extensive experience in both timber harvests and forestry. They are also familiar with all the requisite Illinois State laws...There has been much speculation about how Camp will look after the harvest. Please keep in mind, this isn’t a clear cutting of Camp Drake. 1,400 trees will be impacted, which represents roughly 1% of the trees in our 160 acres of woodlands at Camp Robert Drake. Parts of Camp Drake will certainly look different, but the company involved has committed to leaving the camp better than it was! Eagle Scout Joel Armas opinion on Council logging plan Recently, the local Prairielands Council decided to liquidate all trees in the forested areas of Camp. The contract was a no-bid open contract with one lumber company, Pike Lumber of Indiana. The plan calls for the aggressive removal of any commercially viable trees within Camp Drake, including trees in programming and camp sites. Over 1400 trees will be removed over the entire 160 acres of the wooded forest area within Camp Drake. The Camp Drake Forest is a legacy given to the current Council leadership by 90 years of Scout Executives, Executive Committees, Executive Boards and Camp Directors who chose to preserve the natural resources of Drake for future generations of scouts to benefit and enjoy. The Prairielands Executive Committee has refused to allow anyone, including members of the Executive Board that have directly asked, to see a copy of the contract or any documentation executed by the Executive Committee. The Prairielands Council Executive Committee did not at any time solicit the input or involvement of the standing Prairielands Conservation Committee or the Prairielands Camping Committee. The Conservation Committee has formally asked for involvement in the planning and execution of the timber sale and has been formally rejected. Prairielands Executive Committee has failed to adequately communicate the specifics of the sale, which impact future camping plans and the unit’s financial deposits, to the units within Prairielands. A standard competitive bid process was not followed.... More at source link: https://www.smilepolitely.com/opinion/stop_the_logging_of_camp_drake_woodland/ Petition mentioned in News Gazette article Stop the Logging of Drake Woodland Camp Robert Drake, located just south of Oakwood Illinois on the banks of the Salt Fork River, has just approved a plan to log 1400 trees. Camp Drake is located at the site of a former coal mine. The coal company who had cut the trees, drove deep cuts into the land, and ran away was forced to return and clean the remaining coal ash left behind by the mining, allowing the ecosystem to rebound and host a beautiful mature walnut, oak, and hickory forest. This logging would increase erosion, and cause more nutrients to enter the Salt Fork River. The Salt Fork is National Wild and Scenic River, and one of the cleanest in Illinois. This would cause an increase in algal blooms, as well as harming fish populations. Additionally the removal of mature trees will create a heightened risk of land falls at Camp Drake, which has steep ravines (scars from the mining done one hundred years ago). Scouting has been under much scrutiny for its role in the abuse of many people by leaders and fellow scouts, leading to lawsuits by survivors of abuse. The need to raise money for survivors' settlements prompted Prairieland Council to embark on a logging campaign. To atone for the abuse of former scouts, the council has decided to place scars upon the land which will take hundreds of years to heal. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-logging-of-drake-woodland Maybe all moot, as the News Gazette article states: "It appears to be too late. Logging, which began in early January, is about halfway finished."

Lets get back on topic. thanks, RS