RememberSchiff

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

We have put tightly sealed Nalgene bottles filled with hot water in our sleeping bags...YMMV,

Several Scout officials and residents of the area around Camp Drake (Illinois) are decrying an ongoing logging effort that will harvest 1,400 trees ... The logging at Camp Drake will generate between $200,000 and $300,000 to build a shower building/storm shelter (tornado) which will house up to 200 people at a cost of $250,000. ... Tiffany Armas, scoutmaster of Troop 2119, and her son, Joel, an Eagle Scout, are among those protesting the plan the loudest. They said Scout officials were not properly informed of the scope of the plan and that it is not following proper forestry ecological practices. A petition signed by 327 people asked the Scout leaders to reconsider the logging plan. More at source: https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/environment/scout-leader-defends-logging-at-camp-drake-over-concerns-of-lack-of-transparency/article_bb7e3fb0-854c-5b1f-b9f3-8afb5c843a53.html

Jan 27, 2022 Sophia Chang is now officially the new CEO of the GSUSA. Ms Chang who entered the world of Girl Scouts through her daughter, explained that she hopes her presence in a prominent leadership role can help broaden the realm of possibility for young girls. And while the organization has, in the past, struggled to recruit girls of color, Chang said she hopes to ensure “that our programs are developed in a way that is appealing and interesting and really serves all girls.” “At the end of the day, we know that there are more and more opportunities that are available to girls today, but not everyone has access to them,” she said. “And I think that Girl Scouts can play an important role in that.” Previously, she was president of distribution for HBO/WarnerMedia after 20 years of advancement through executive positions there. She succeeds interim CEO interim Judith Batty, who came out of retirement to lead the Girl Scouts in August 2020. Under Batty’s leadership, GSUSA founded a Girl Advisory Board, raised more than $20 million in contributions, and made diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice an organizational priority, the organization said. More at source links: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/girl-scouts-first-asian-american-ceo-credits-diverse-childhood-rcna14007 https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2021/12/girl-scouts-name-former-hbo-president-as-new-ceo.html?page=all As I understand the GSUSA has 1.7 million girl members. Their Executive Team has 8 members. Previous CEOs: Judith Batty (interim) 8/2020-12/2021 Sylvia Acevedo 5/2017-8/2020 salary $732,000 Anna Maria Chávez 2011-2017 Kathy Cloninger 10/2003 – 11/2011 Jackie Barnes (interim) 7/2002 – 10/2003 Marsha Johnson Evans (January 1998 – July 2002): retired rear admiral, left the Girl Scouts to become president of the American Red Cross Joel E. Becker (October 1997 – January 1998) (Interim) Mary Rose Main (February 1990 – October 1997) Frances Hesselbein 1976-1990

Update 1/27/2022: Calling the Boy Scout-owned Deer Lake Camp a “magical” place, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., promised to help get federal funds to head off private development of the 255-acre property, which is up for sale. “The precious and pristine treasure that is Deer Lake ... must be preserved,” Blumenthal told a group of three dozen people who gathered next to the frozen lake at the camp amid frigid temperatures Thursday. "Unfortunately, the Boy Scouts owe money and that's a fact of life." “It really is a treasure for the whole state, and that’s why I will be going to the Water and Conservation Fund of the Great Outdoors Act, seeking whatever resources we can do.” He said he would press for funding in the range of $2 million to $3 million dollars, and “maybe more.” ... “Open space is not something you can lose and recover. Once it’s lost, it’s gone, it’s gone forever,” Blumenthal said. More at source links: https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/middlesex/politicians-activists-fight-to-protect-deer-lake-in-killingworth/ https://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/shoreline/article/U-S-Senator-lends-voice-to-efforts-to-preserve-16811740.php

...enjoys Maine’s hunting, fishing and trapping opportunities. He is involved in Dirigo Search and Rescue as well as Boy Scouts of America. He also plays the drums and competes in track and field. His ice fishing story: https://bangordailynews.com/2022/01/05/outdoors/preparation-proper-gear-are-keys-to-a-successful-ice-fishing-season-xoasq1i29i/

Back on topic... Is the End Near for Third Party Releases In Chapter 11 Plans? ...Although there is no provision of the Bankruptcy Code expressly authorizing non-consensual third-party releases, only three of the eleven United States Courts of Appeal have expressly prohibited them. The other Circuits have either expressly approved them or left the door open to approval in “rare” or “limited” circumstances... recent decisions: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in the Purdue Pharma, L.P. case and United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in the Mahwah Bergen Retail Group, Inc. case... identically titled bills were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate as HR4777 and S2497, respectively. The “Nondebtor Release Prohibition Act of 2021,” if enacted, would prohibit discharging liability of non-debtor third-parties to creditors without the creditors’ consent and limit the time period during which a bankruptcy court may stay prosecution of creditor claims against non-debtor third-parties while a bankruptcy case is pending to 90 days. Neither Bill has reached a floor vote to date... Succinct and coherent legal overview at source https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/is-the-end-near-for-third-party-6944004/

class action lawsuit vs Chapter 11 As I understand, the University of Michigan (public non-profit, taxpayer funded) sexual assault settlement is a result of a class action suit filed in federal district court and not a bankruptcy.

In July-August, 2020 the Judge included the "Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice" as part of the Mediation Party. https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/842768_1161.pdf Could the Judge also remove the "Coalition" from the Mediation Party?

In NH, MLK Day was called Civil Rights Day to commemorate the movement (leaders, protests, activists, victims, lawyers,..) beyond one man. NH eventually called today MLK but some think of the civil rights movement today. That was the reference. Sorry for the confusion, now back to our topic - RS

Lt. Colonel Brandon Tellez been an active adult volunteer with the Scouts and serves as the Committee Chair of Pack 274 and as the Bear Den Leader. ...Phoenix Airfield replaced the aging Pegasus Field when environmental conditions rendered Pegasus Field unfit to support the C-17 which can weigh as much as 490,000 pounds when fully loaded when it lands on ice. The area at Pegasus Field was melting because of environmental warming. Not a good location for landing an aircraft loaded with people, equipment, and supplies." The flag traveled more than 19,000 miles from McChord Field to McMurdo station and back. Great story of how this all happened at source: https://thesubtimes.com/2022/01/16/puyallup-cub-scout-patrol-flag-flies-proudly-near-the-south-pole/

Final vote still due today?

Lawyer jokes on Martin Luther King Day? Lets get back on topic. Thanks RS

Update Jan 16, 2022: Sad to report, Brigadier General "Charles McGee, one of a handful of Tuskegee Airmen pilots still alive in 2022, has died, his family announced Sunday. He was 102." https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/one-last-tuskegee-airmen-dies-rcna12432 Scout salute and farewell,

One of rarest eagles in world, a Steller's sea eagle, has been spotted in Maine this week. Maybe scouts can help track locations of this vagrant. Doug Hitchox, a naturalist with Maine Audubon, says because of the bird's unique feather patterns, it's believed to be the same vagrant. But the reasons for its lonely odyssey remain a mystery. Hitchcox and other experts say it could be prospecting for new territory. Or, it could have been blown off course or had an internal GPS hiccup. Mary Jenkins fears it's lost. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/14/1072706921/one-of-the-rarest-eagles-in-the-world-has-birdwatchers-flocking-to-maine It’s an awe-inspiring bird—about a foot longer and taller than an adult Bald Eagle and as many as five pounds heavier, with a massive golden bill that looks like pirate treasure. It’s rare: There are only about 4,000 of this vulnerable species left in the wild, compared to hundreds of thousands of Bald Eagles. And of course, it’s not supposed to be here. Steller’s Sea-Eagles are native to far eastern Russia, the Korean peninsula, and northern Japan. Vagrancy—the tendency for birds to show up far outside their normal range—is one of the most exciting aspects of birding. The Steller’s Sea-Eagle is the epitome of a vagrant bird, and the same individual has been tracked across North America since it was first spotted more than a year ago. The timeline and travels of this single bird, from Alaska to Texas to eastern Canada to New England, must be seen to be believed. Now the biggest question for birders is where this wandering giant will go next. More details and map of sightings at Audubon source link: https://www.audubon.org/news/inside-amazing-cross-continent-saga-stellers-sea-eagle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller's_sea_eagle

Yes on a new model but IMHO, it will not come from existing leadership. All scouting is local, except your SE.

For my sons' first year of camping, I would check but not pack. Once I found a GREEN ham and cheese sandwich from the previous campout. That I did unpack . IMHO for inexperienced scouts, the SPL/PL's should check packs before outing and at the next troop meeting after where packs should be clean, dry, empty or pre-packed with essential outdoor items. My $0.02,

page 4 of docket 8234. This docket also includes the Bates Rebuttal Report in Appendix A. "In light of Dr. Bates’s opinion that (i) the value of the Direct Abuse Claims has a midpoint of $3.0 billion, (ii) the size of the contributions already being made to the Settlement Trust (over $2.69 billion), and (iii) the expected value of non-settling insurance rights and non-settling chartered organization claims, the Debtors anticipate payment in full to holders of allowed claims in Class 8 in accordance with the Trust Distribution Procedures. It belies common sense that the TCC is continuing to attack a Plan with a preliminary accepting vote of 73% in a class that will be paid in full." https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/87262082-a853-42e8-8cca-b7e120c2836c_8234.pdf

Scout Augie Walsh, "Just to help them as much as I could," https://www.kmbc.com/article/kc-boy-scout-augie-walsh-families-affected-by-kentucky-tornadoes/38669078

The 1941 Requirements for Emergency Service Corps Member: 1. First Class Scout 2. 15 years old 3. Pass these qualification tests each year: a) Run 1 mile in 8.5 minutes b) Climb an 18 foot rope, hand over hand, in 15 seconds c) Tie following knots with a 1/2 in rope or larger: Square, Bowline, Ant line hitch, Blackwall hitch, Two half hitches, Cat's paw, Clove hitch, Bowline on a Bight, Sheet bend 4. Hold following merit badges: First Aid, Safety, Pioneering, Personal Health, Firemanship, Public Health and where required Lifesaving and Rowing

I doubt Prof Eric Green will officially become the Settlement Trustee. https://mediatbankry.com/2021/12/14/mediation-privilege-for-a-proposed-but-not-actual-mediator-in-re-boy-scouts/

Wed, Jan 12 7:30 P.M. "An old Scout named Willem Lange spends a weekend at the annual Klondike Derby at Camp Carpenter in Manchester, where Boy Scouts from around NH demonstrate their winter skills. Willem tags along with two teams patrols of Scouts (Dynamite and Fellowship) as they compete in a series of events that challenge their skills, including building a fire, ice rescue, first aid and hypothermia treatment, and using a compass. He also finds out what Scouting means to those at the event, young and old." Link to a page with a good Klondike video ( Episode 705, about 27 minutes) and broadcast schedule: https://nhpbs.org/schedule/summary.aspx?progId=WindowstotheWild705