RememberSchiff

Great ideas. Some of the scout camps here in New England have Clivus composting toilets . Treasure Valley has a large solar array and has or had a sustainability project with WPI.

Sigh..., I am waiting for a question to the Presidential candidates regarding the future of the BSA. Bernie Sanders was in scouts. Michael Bloomberg is an Eagle Scout. Here's a 2009 story about Mayor Bloomberg using his scout first aid skills.

"Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois serves over 9,000 girls and 3,587 adult volunteers in 40 ½ mostly rural counties in southern Illinois. GSofSI has a yearly operating budget of approximately $3.7 million. One out of every seven school aged girl in our jurisdiction is a Girl Scout." https://www.gsofsi.org/en/about-girl-scouts/about-gssi.html "The Board recognizes the need to preserve the financial value of camp properties while also ensuring the delivery of Girl Scout activities and experiences. In selling the camp properties, the asset value of the camps will remain. Camp assets of the Council will be transformed into financial assets of the Council. The Board has directed that all proceeds from the sale of the camps be deposited into the newly established Girl Scout Experience Fund. Last night, the Board approved the creation of the Girl Scout Experience Fund (the “GSE Fund”). The GSE Fund is to provide direct financial support for delivering the Girl Scout experience. These funds will help underwrite the costs of girls to fulfill their own Girl Scout experience, whether that experience be camping, horseback riding, zip lining, STEM, robotics competitions, leadership training, and a broad array of other Girl Scout experiences. An investment of $3.4 million from camp properties into the GSE Fund, at a return of 6%, would generate $200,000 annually to underwrite the costs of girls and their troops to have fulfilling Girl Scout experiences. By preserving the principal of the investment, and spending only the generated income, GSofSI will ensure the value of the camp properties will be continued to generate Girl Scout experiences for generations to come." https://www.gsofsi.org/en/about-girl-scouts/news/2020/from_the_desk_of_lor.html So $200,000/year would average $22/girl/yr in this Council. I'm not sure how much Girl Scout experience that would buy. I suspect the $3.4 million principle generating $200K/year interest will not be preserved. If this was a thrifty BSA council surely that money would be transferred to a black hole account - a new Council HQ, STEM center, or forced merger. Kudos to Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois website which I found more transparent than most BSA Council websites, My $0.02,

Camp Wassatoga, near Effingham, Illinois; Camp Chan Ya Ta, near Worden, Illinois; Camp Torqua, near Edwardsville; and Camp Butterfly, near Farmington, Missouri...sold for $3.4M The camps together have a total of 1,233 acres of rolling hills, rocky bluffs, lakes, woods and meadows that include trails, shelters and other amenities for activities like paddleboating, sailboating, and volleyball. Together, the camps cost about $375,000 each year to operate. That cost was determined to be too high, while offering experiences Girl Scouts could get elsewhere in the area, CEO Loretta Graham said. Instead, the proceeds will create the “Girl Scout Experience Fund” ($200,000/year) to “underwrite the costs of girls to fulfill their own Girl Scout experience, whether that experience be camping, horseback riding, zip-lining, STEM, robotics competitions, leadership training, and a broad array of other Girl Scout experiences,” Graham said. ... The sale was a “devastating” surprise to troop leaders, who found out about the decision in an email Thursday, said Kimberly Hine of Collinsville. The camps gave thousands of Girl Scouts a place to try canoeing, fishing, zip-lining and archery — activities they often don’t get a chance to try anywhere else, she said. more at source: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/girl-scouts-of-southern-illinois-selling-four-camps-for-million/article_a08f514c-0560-5517-8d9c-99de2d9ed124.html

Hmmm maybe @JoeBob has a point about inflated salaries. https://www.presstelegram.com/2020/02/28/boy-scouts-of-america-weighed-down-by-red-ink-high-pay-for-execs-before-bankruptcy/

Judge Silverstein has scheduled Omnibus hearings for April 15, May 18 , and June 8. https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/802829_111.pdf https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/802850_112.pdf "An omnibus hearing is a Court hearing at which the Court may hear a variety of different matters relating to one particular case." https://www.bankruptcydata.com/glossary-of-bankruptcy-terms

IMHO, we need solid, factual answers to parent questions regarding trust and safety ahead of membership drives.

My thought was damage-control for recruitment. IMHO, our competition here is subtlety saying they are safer, BSA National should be responding.

"This is a great example of proactive, pre-crisis thinking. And it’s also a lesson in internal communications; that is, sharing accurate information in a timely fashion with “front line” representatives of an organization. This is a textbook case of using proactive messaging to distinguish your brand from “co-petitors” in the news." ... "Girl Scouts is proud of its more than 100 years of dedicated and expert service to girls—and girls only—in an environment that is girl-led, girl-focused, supportive of girls’ positive development, and, above all, safe." https://www.agilitypr.com/pr-news/public-relations/girl-scouts-get-out-in-front-of-boy-scouts-bankruptcy-crisis-with-proactive-messaging/ Where's my blood pressure medicine?

Some earlier MIchigan Crossroads topics

As I understand, the only short schedule was requested by the BSA - 80 days for victims/creditors to come forward. Please show a source confirming Judge Silverstein is forcing a short schedule or anything else. On 2/20/2020 Judge Silverstein's signed several interim (no expiration date) orders- debtor is authorized to continue run business, pay bills,.... https://cases.omniagentsolutions.com/documents?clientid=CsgAAncz%2B6Yclmvv9%2Fq5CGybTGevZSjdVimQq9zQutqmTPHesk4PZDyfOOLxIiIwZjXomPlMZCo%3D&tagid=1153 P.S. Interesting to note in above link, the number attorneys from different Councils with "Request for Service of Papers"

2/24/2020: U.S. Trustee has requested to hold a Section 341(a) meeting on April 15. " The U.S. trustee plays a major role in monitoring the progress of a chapter 11 case and supervising its administration. The U.S. trustee is responsible for monitoring the debtor in possession's operation of the business and the submission of operating reports and fees. Additionally, the U.S. trustee monitors applications for compensation and reimbursement by professionals, plans and disclosure statements filed with the court, and creditors' committees. The U.S. trustee conducts a meeting of the creditors, often referred to as the "section 341 meeting," in a chapter 11 case. 11 U.S.C. § 341. The U.S. trustee and creditors may question the debtor under oath at the section 341 meeting concerning the debtor's acts, conduct, property, and the administration of the case." https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/801214_101.pdf https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/802670_110.pdf https://www.uscourts.gov/services-forms/bankruptcy/bankruptcy-basics/chapter-11-bankruptcy-basics#:~:text=The U.S. trustee conducts a,in a chapter 11 case.&text=The U.S. trustee and creditors,the administration of the case. https://cases.omniagentsolutions.com/documents?clientid=CsgAAncz%2b6Yclmvv9%2fq5CGybTGevZSjdVimQq9zQutqmTPHesk4PZDyfOOLxIiIwZjXomPlMZCo%3d&tagid=1153

Yeah, wonder why. But at least there was a guise of local autonomy , per By-Laws, merging council executive boards had to approve even if those boards were badgered to repeat voting until they did approve. Merger Suggestions. Consider, if these sudden, proposed council mergers are or perceived as National orders This will be happening , such actions IMHO will discredit the BSA statement "Local councils are legally independent, separate and distinct from the national organization. " Another concern, Council X has liability lawsuit(s) pending and is merged with neighboring Councils Y and Z which do not. Now, the combined assets of new Council XYZ are in play. Another $0.02

The top-down comes in after the bottom-up council restructuring. National or Regions lack the overall picture of council performance that units experience. How many times have units said if only they could be in another council? Another $0.01,

"Top down thinking" has been restructuring councils for as long as I can remember. The promised economies (locally), service improvements, and increased membership and resources have not been proven, but let's get it right in the next merger, e.g., The Spirit of Adventure Council (unless they merged again and changed their name since I started writing). I expect all Mass will be one council as neighboring NH is (except for one or two counties). Remember how councils were required to develop strategic plans? JTE? If a council met their five year plan or is a Gold Council, why merge it or was all that top down thinking flawed? How about bottom-up thinking based on the service needs of units, units satisfaction with that service, and council financials? Say a more market- driven approach. Camps should be financially independent of councils. My $0.02,

And when you're taught how to right a swamped canoe, turn your flannel shirt into a life preserver, make tea from the bark of a sassafras tree, and read animal tracks, cairns and trail signs, you're gaining the confidence that you'll be able to adapt to whatever life throws at you. That's still relevant, not at all anachronistic. Boy Scouts needs to confront its painful past. But it might also be true that in the past it finds its future. ~ Michael Dobie , Newsday editorial board https://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/michael-dobie/michael-dobie-boy-scouts-of-america-bankruptcy-1.42041316

Alarms go off in my head when I hear of Council board members who work in real estate.

IMHO, camps should be independently owned and managed by a camp alumni trust, thus the camp is shielded from the financial misfortunes of the Council or National. This trust rents out its camping facilities and storage to cover its operation and maintenance. The camp neither owns nor maintains program inventory (archery, baskets, STEM, kayaks, whatever) that is Council's cost and responsibility or whatever group is renting the camp for their respective program. My $0.02,

The bankruptcy case began Wednesday with a court hearing in Wilmington, Delaware, where attorneys for victims made clear they will also go after campsites and other properties owned by the Boy Scouts’ 261 local councils, and will also demand access to internal files containing abusers’ names. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein did not immediately rule on access to the files or how the property of the local councils will be treated. Another battle is taking shape over what deadline the court will set for victims to file claims for compensation. Victims’ attorneys chafed at the notion of an 80-day deadline, saying men who have suffered need more time. More at source: https://www.austindailyherald.com/2020/02/plaintiffs-attorneys-take-aim-at-boy-scouts-dark-history/

In the case of Scouting, the BSA may dissolve in this bankruptcy, if so, it will be replaced and Scouting will move on. IMHO, Scouting is an idea, a philosophy of life, not an organization. Another $0.02,

IMHO, I do NOT think we will see - any changes to the torte system coming in time for this case. - the Federal government bailing out the BSA or any non-profits. - taxpayers paying for a reparation fund or for another government oversight agency. For an organization whose motto is "Be Prepared", I think many will say accept the consequences and fix your own problems. My $0.02,

Mitchell Garabedian ,a Boston lawyer who has gained international recognition for representing more than 1,000 victims of the Catholic Church clergy sexual abuse, (you may recall his name from the movie Spotlight) said the question now is whether local councils should be held responsible. Churches that may sponsor troops where victims were abused may also be held liable. He said they are a link in the chain of sexual abuse that happened over the course of decades. He said some may want to join the bankruptcy for protection. “If local councils are separate corporations, which they usually are, they could say, ‘We want to be part of the bankruptcy protection, so we’re going to provide some assets,’ ” Garabedian said. “It’s called channeling injunctions. It happens in many other bankruptcies.” .... The BSA recently established Ad Hoc Committee of Local Councils, an informal volunteer committee consisting of eight councils from around the country which is intended to give the 261 local councils as a group, a “voice” in the national organization’s Chapter 11 proceedings. https://www.telegram.com/news/20200218/will-boy-scouts-bankruptcy-potential-lawsuits-affect-local-councils

I wonder if the judge can apply executive compensation caps?

Filing : Official Form 201 (17 pages) https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/799024_Boy Scouts of America - 20-10343.pdf