eisely

To my knowledge the charter organization representative can hold no other position in a unit. This is not to say that the COR cannot do things such organize an outing, put together a program for a meeting, or teach skills. Just as scoutmaster, cubmaster, and committee chairs are unique positions that cannot be occupied by the same person, the COR holds only that position.

My biggest problem with shorts in the past has been the way they are sometimes cut in the crotch. I am not sure that the length isn't merely a fashion issue. Haven't you noticed how shorts in recent years vary in length like skirts' hemlines? Too bad the boys don't want to accept the uniform for what it is, but I don't think scouts should look like gang bangers.

Jerry Falwell was never my personal cup of tea. I have only seen him on TV occasionally on various national talk shows where he was presumably on his best behavior. But he did apologize for his recent remarks, and I think we ought to take that at face value. Disregarding Falwell as the messenger for a moment, it is indisputable that the ACLU and the US Supreme Court have had a tremendous impact on a number of issues ranging from abortion to school prayer to freedom of expression to pornography to limitations on police investigative powers. Some of these issues matter a great deal to a lot of people, and just because they feel strongly on these issues does not automatically make them bigots. When I look at where the country was 50 years ago on these issues, and where the courts have led us, I am not at all sure that things have improved that much, even in areas where I agree with the policy. I don't care for Falwell's pronouncements, and his declaration about the gay tele-tubbies a few years ago was laughable. But some of his criticisms deserve a fair hearing. In the meantime I will accept his apology as at least as sincere as the apologies we have gotten from Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson for their various escapades.

Falwell's remarks were at the least embarrassing to Christians everywhere. Like many I am concerned about the decadence I see around me, but none of the people that Falwell talked about were at the controls of those airliners. He owes a lot of people an apology.

Like so many others I am still trying to understand all the events of September 11 and figure out what it means for people everywhere. We are truly blessed in the US. Through the efforts of those who have gone before we are both wealthy and free, and fortunate to occupy a wonderful piece of real estate. We have taken our privileged status, and life itself, for granted for so long. I only hope that a people that has become self indulgent, self absorbed, less god fearing, and overweight (self included) can now rise to the occasion. I pray that we do not lose too much that is good in dealing with this threat. The US is not the simple place it once was. We are now blessed with a leavening of immigrants from places many of us never heard of just a few years ago. Let us set the example and remind our scouts not to lash out at people of different color and faith, moslems in particular. We need to keep in mind the sacrifice the NYFD last week, and heed their example of selflessness. God bless America.

pray reflect and give blood

Outdoor emphasis and outdoor adult training are alive and well in the Mt. Diablo Siverado Council here in California. Out of curiousity I do plan to sit through the new adult training in just a few weeks, just to check it out.

Based on this and similar stories it appears that United Way needs the Boy Scouts more than the Boy Scouts needs United Way. See the details towards the end of the story. It is sad that zealots opposed to Scouting are so willing to "destroy the village in order to save it," to borrow a famous quote from the Viet Nam war. One of the major arguments for United Way as a concept is efficiency in fund raising, by keeping the fund raising costs as a percent of funds raised very low. United Way was also a good deal for employers because they could enter a program of charitable payroll deductions with only one agency, and not get hit from multiple directions. Also hurt by the zealots' campaign against scouting are smaller deserving charities such as one mentioned in this story that cannot mount large fund raising campaigns of their own. Oh well. Friends of Scouting, here we come. _________________ United Way digs in as challenges mount By David Damron | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted September 10, 2001 The Heart of Florida United Way's annual campaign opens Thursday to a set of circumstances its leaders prayed would never converge. It is, in essence, a triple-witching hour for Central Florida's largest charitable-giving pool: The United Way is facing increased competition for worker dollars. More companies are giving their employees a wider choice of charities rather then granting the United Way a monopoly in workplace giving. A tumbling economy leaves workers -- who give 80 cents of every dollar the United Way raises -- uncertain about the future of their paychecks. And charities funded by the United Way find themselves facing more need than they can accommodate. Bruises still linger from a bitter fight with the Boy Scouts of America over the Scouts' ban on gays. After the Scouts refused to sign an anti-discrimination pact, the local United Way restricted money to the Scouts by passing along only dollars that donors specifically earmark to the group -- a move that angered many of the Scouts' traditional backers. Such a one-two-three punch could have a big impact on a charity that in the past two decades never failed to raise more money than the year before . Could this be the year the organization doesn't go higher? "I just don't know," said Matt Zavadsky, kickoff chairman for the 2001 campaign. "There are some real challenges this year." 2001 campaign on horizon The organization, which serves Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties, will announce its goal for 2001 on Thursday. Last year, the United Way raised $20.6 million in 125,000 donations from businesses and individuals in the three counties. While the United Way faces an unenviable collection of circumstances as it launches the campaign, leaders say there are signs the troubles can be overcome. Zavadsky, the CEO of the Health Council of East Central Florida, said corporate leaders stepped up in recent months when it was apparent that raising more funds is as difficult as ever. He's confident employees will react the same way. In the typical cheerleading style of a fund-raiser, Zavadsky said: "These challenges are not insurmountable." They just look that way sometimes. Chief among them is the number of choices more workers have for the dollars they give to charity. AAA, based in Heathrow, and Siemens Corp. in Orlando opened campaigns at their companies to other charities last year. This year, several of the region's top public and private employers followed suit, including the City of Orlando, Orange County Public Schools, Universal Orlando and Seminole County government. Time-share mogul and major United Way contributor David Siegel even created a charitable foundation within his Westgate Resorts for employees to consider in addition to the United Way. His employees gave $500,000 to the United Way last year. Some heated competition Those developments mean the United Way no longer has a monopoly on plugging for money in the workplace. And, some say, having the option could prompt some workers to give money elsewhere if they have felt pressured by previous United Way campaigns. It is, said Kevin Ronnie, a field director for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy watchdog group, a chance to blow off steam. United Way campaigns "were very coercive," Ronnie said. "And nobody wants to talk about it." Zavadsky said it may have been true years ago, but now the organization uses a "soft" request approach. Beryl Davis, an audit director for the city of Orlando who helped survey employees on whether the city's charity campaign should be opened up to more options, said it came down to choice. The city allowed America's Charities, a group emerging around the country as the chief competitor to the United Way, into its campaign, along with the Community Foundation of Central Florida, United Arts and Community Health Charities of Florida. "I haven't made a firm decision on which one I'm going to go with," Davis said. "But it does excite me to have these options." To battle the competition, United Way simply plans to trumpet louder all the good work being done with its donations. United Way funded 74 health and human-service agencies last year in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties. That amounted to 435,000 lives being "touched," as the agency puts it. They want donors to know that the money they donate locally goes right back into local charities. And the charities are annually reviewed to see whether the money is spent properly. Not all other charities, such as America's Charities, can claim that. Year-round campaign To get this message out beyond just the few intense months of the campaign, United Way board members approved a $100,000 year-round publicrelations campaign, a first-of-its-kind move. While they mount that campaign, United Way leaders also worry about the effect the nation's struggling economy could have. That in itself is a double-whammy, with more workers worried about their jobs, and longer lines expected at agencies the United Way supports. Charitable donations last year experienced the slowest rate of growth in five years, according to a May study by Giving USA, a journal on charitable-giving published by Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy. The publication's annual survey noted that giving rose just 3.2 percent last year, in inflation-adjusted numbers. They estimate folks dipped into their own pockets to the tune of $203.5 billion nationwide. But that was before the stock market took a hit and economic growth stalled. "It's probably not the best time in the world to be out getting new donors," said Giving USA managing editor Melissa S. Brown. Has it blown over? Another issue United Way leaders acknowledge they can't control is reaction to the fracas over the Boy Scouts. It is, they said, over and done. As it ended, all but one of the 74 local agencies that receive money from the United Way signed non-discrimination pledges. In those pledges, the agencies promised not to exclude gays and lesbians in the delivery of services, but hiring practices were not addressed. The Scouts were the lone holdout. Because this all played out last fall, this will be the first year the Scouts can receive only the money that donors specifically earmark for them. United Way's Community Care fund, a general pool of money, won't send money to the Scouts this year. Support for the Scouts was so strong last year that earmarked pledges to the Scouts tripled to $336,000, or $2,000 more than the group had sought from the United Way. United Way officials hope that storm is blowing over. "I think time will heal this issue," said Norm Levine, United Way's distribution-fund chairman. Levine hopes donors understand that the Scouts represent only a small part of the United Way's reach. Much of the money collected in the annual drive is channeled to smaller, lesser-known groups. The Lisa Merlin House is a classic example. The group, which treats homeless women recovering from alcohol or drug addiction, runs on a budget of about $500,000, $25,000 of it from the United Way. "At this very moment, I don't know how we would replace those funds," Merlin House official Mary Kay Villaverde said. "To have their support is a coup for us." There are some positive signals for the 2001 campaign, United Way executives say. More than three dozen new companies agreed to run a workplace campaign this year, officials say. Kathryn Hoeck, who chairs the United Way board of directors, said she is "extremely optimistic" about the campaign. "As long as we continue to educate our donors on why the United Way is a good investment," she said, "that will take care of itself." David Damron can be reached at ddamron@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5311.

The piece below is from an online news source called "Agape Press," an explicitly conservative Christian news source. Allegan County Michigan is on the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan South of Grand Rapids. This particular United Way chapter is small potatos (potatoes?) compared to the urban metropolitan United Way chapters, but it is an interesting story nonetheless. Perhaps a reader of this post who is familiar with the controversy can offer more information. Michigan United Way Chapter Under Pressure to Fund Boy Scouts By Allie Martin September 7, 2001 (AgapePress) - Residents in one Michigan county are being encouraged not to give to the local United Way until the agency restores funding to local Boy Scout troops. A broad coalition of community leaders, churches, and businesses in Allegan County are undertaking a mass mail-out asking donors to designate any donation they make to the Allegan County United Way to go specifically to the Scouts or other charities of their choice, or to bypass the United Way altogether and make donations directly to the Scouts or other charities. Last year, the Allegan United Way became the only United Way chapter in Michigan and one of only 2% of United Way chapters nationwide to withhold funds from scouting because of the groups refusal to appoint homosexuals as leaders. Along with the letter-writing campaign, community leaders will also address local churches, civic groups, and other community organizations to educate citizens about the issue. Last year, the Allegan County United Way reported that it was forced by donors to increase its funding of local scouting groups through designated contributions by nearly 500% over the previous year.

jmcquillan, Whatever you do, I hope we will continue to see you in these pages. I have a somewhat different take on this general issue. Lack of sufficient parental support is a problem, not just in scouts, but in all kinds of youth activities highly dependent upon volunteers. One always finds a few highly dedicated volunteers who hang in there for years, and every organization needs some of these. Unfortunately, this also spoils other people who come to expect and rely upon such dedication. This can create different problems. I can think of two powerhouse troops in our district that are blessed with very competent, very active, and very senior scoutmasters, neither of which seem to have any succession plan in mind. I really think it is sometimes healthier for a troop to have turnover in scoutmasters every few years, rather than have the same guy do it year in and year out, as good as that person may be. This should not be construed as any kind of criticism. Nevertheless, an organization that is used to looking ahead for the next generation of leadership will have fewer problems identifying and recruiting that leadership. Even functioning at a district level, one can still go on outings and work directly with youth in different ways. But if a particular role or responsibility truly isn't fun any more, it is time to pass the baton to some one else and find a way to contribute that is still fun.

I like OGE's suggestion. There is time to think about this.

And don't forget the value of images. If one does ever appear on camera, be in complete uniform, well worn. Stand up straight and be mindful of body english. Maintain eye contact. No shuffling of feet, or that sort of thing. Scouting has a positive image already. That is why the gay rights people love to have Steve Cozza show up in uniform. Adults and youth in uniform looking good always strike a responsive cord. That is why politicians love to have scouts at their rallys.

Rooster7 If one could do an honest poll right now of the American people and their attitudes towards scouting, I think you would find a growing ambivalence because of all the bad press. The news media are overwhelming liberal in outlook and will continue to take shots at scouting every chance they get. It would be nice to believe that the overwhelming majority of all americans support the position of scouting on this issue, but I fear that the tide is going the other way. Clearly there are also going to be geographic differences. I would wager that attitudes towards scouting exactly mirror the "map" that all the pundits talk about showing the distribution of electoral votes in the last presidential election. This is what concerns me. Those who already respect traditional values do not need to be convinced. It is the ones who are in the middle that need to be awakened. I am not trying to deceive anybody. Once one gets their attention, it is not too difficult to steer the discussion where you want it to go. It is important to get the dialogue going where it matters, and to do that requires getting their attention in a way that they will respond to positively.

I like the idea of a silent protest, but one would still need signs so that you would not be confused by the media as part of the scouting for all protest. I agree with OGE's comment about building "traditional values" into the the theme. It is not that I am opposed to traditional values, but a lot of people are automatically turned off by that phrase. If one were to seriously do something like this, one needs a simple message that reaches the "undecided." The purpose of a demonstration is to reach others, not those already on your side. This is where using some of the words of the critics of scouting in a clever way can yield some value. "Diversity of ideas" or "choice in scouting," while intentionally vague, will grab attention and get a more serious play in any media covering the protest.

NEWS FLASH Researchers claim that catnip is superior to DEET in repelling flying insects! No kidding. I heard this on my car radio yesterday. Anybody else hear about this one, or is this just another urban legend? Has anybody tried catnip for this purpose? I don't know if I would want to wear something that would attract cougars, even if they are in a good mood. Far out.

The following piece was lifted from sfgate.com. It has nothing to do with scouting, but speaks volumes about political trends and what we are up against. That our "moderate democrat" governor would even consider such an appointment is an outrage. ___________________________ Davis' education appointee has sideline in racy videos Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross Wednesday, August 29, 2001 Gov. Gray Davis' opponents have been dig, dig, digging around on the background of some of his appointees -- and they've turned up one of those "gotchas" on Reed Hastings, the governor's handpicked president of the state Board of Education. It turns out that the Silicon Valley tycoon's latest venture -- an online movie rental site called Netflix -- offers some rather racy titles on its racks . . . such as the soft-core gay porn releases "Barely Legal," "Mad About the Boy" and "Boy 2: Boys at Play." (The last one is billed as "eight of Slovakia's most desirable males in an erotic fantasy spectacular.") Now, while there is no evidence that any of the "boys" shown in these films actually are minors, Davis foes wonder just how the president of the state Board of Education profiting from the sale of soft-core porn -- particularly when it hints at young love -- would play around the state. "You're from San Francisco, so it may not seem like a big deal to you," a GOP operative says, "but you have to question what kind of example it sets for the head of the school board to be making money off a video called 'Barely Legal.' " Hastings' reaction? "As everyone knows, I have been very active in fighting the good fight on behalf of California schoolchildren to ensure they get the quality education they're entitled to. And if that makes me the target of this kind of partisan attack, then that's the price I'm willing to pay." Hastings says he has no intention of pulling any of the titles -- saying that what he offers is no different from what customers can get from, say, Amazon. Besides, to be fair, one of the other titles was "College Boys," so at least somebody's thinking about higher education.

We should consider the idea of organizing counter protests on the same day. That should make things interesting. The problem is coming up with an appropriate theme statement that can't be misconstrued, either deliberately or unintentionally, as bigotry. A suggested poster: "Choice in scouting" Thoughts?

The Contra Costa Times is published in Walnut Creek, California by the Knight Ridder chain of newspapers. We actually subscribe to the print edition, although I seldom do more than look at the headlines and the entertainment section. My spouse reads it because she tracks the real estate market. I never saw the piece you refer to. Unfortunately the edition you mention has already gone out with the recycling. If I remember, next week I might go by the public library to check out this back issue. Knight Ridder is also one of those corporations that decided to no longer contribute directly to the Boy Scouts. This policy was announced last summer after the Supreme Court decision. The CC Times runs a "Saturday forum" where a question is posed and letters are invited. Last August a forum was run on this issue. The question was "should businesses contintue to support boy scouts?" A pro scout letter writing campaign was initiated over the internet and, of about 15 letters published in the forum, only 2 or 3 were hostile to scouts. The paper then did a lengthy story on corporate funding and how scouts were affected. I was interviewed for about 30 minutes on the telephone, and quoted several times in the article. I have to give them credit. The story was fair and accurate in all respects except one point. The paper repeated the canard that agnostics are excluded from scouting. Monitoring local media and getting into the fray is something we all must do. This is a battle being fought with ideas, words, and images, not weapons. Be guided by the ideals of the scout law and participate in the debate when it comes your way. I'm serious - there is wisdom there. Being interviewed for the first time on a controversial subject can be intimidating. Just take your time and answer questions slowly. You can't control the interview but you can control the pace of the interview by responding thoughtfully. Think about your answers and don't say anything inflammatory. We have a story to tell and must not shrink from telling it. You will be surprised at your own success. If I find the piece by the mayor of Berkeley, I will post the rest of the story.

I was not aware until I saw this piece that school uniforms were in wide use in public schools anywhere. There are numerous advantages to school uniforms, and it is not a trivial issue. Do you suppose the school board will come around for uniform inspection for the scout units?

One little thing that is sometimes overlooked is making sure that vehicles used for transportation on outings are fit and ready, and that other measures are taken to anticipate problems. Several years ago on an expedition into an isolated part of Arizona with a large group of people and a large number of cars, our scoutmaster drove an oil burning clunker. One we hiked out from our trek to the trail head to drive home, his dip stick didn't register anything and we were almost 100 miles from the nearest service station of any kind. Fortunately I was able to provide him with some oil, and we all made it home safely. I have found it prudent to carry into such situations extra oil, extra coolant, and jumper cables. I would be interested in other peoples' stories and what they have found useful to carry along.

I overlooked the story below from the Sun Sentinel of Florida. I did not realize that the dispute with the Broward School Board had gotten resolved so favorably. _______________ Broward schools to waive room rental fees for Scouts, others By Toni Marshall Education Writer Posted July 18 2001 After a nine-month battle with the Boy Scouts of America over school use, the Broward County School Board on Tuesday recommended allowing the Scouts and all other nonprofit groups to use schools rent-free, as long as they pay for lights. The proposal is a reversal from the School Boards earlier plans to charge all 15,000 groups that lease school space after a court ruling prevented the district from booting the Boy Scouts off campus because they exclude gays. Broward Schools Superintendent Frank Till said the district isnt backing off its stance against the Boy Scouts anti-gay policies, just putting all nonprofit groups that want to use school space on an equal footing. Were still holding onto our principles ... on discrimination, said Till. I think this is fair. Now there is a standard for all. But board members clashed with Till and opted to defer the policy until the next meeting, so a formula on how to charge groups for their energy use could be better explored. You cant charge them energy costs to light up the whole school, said board member Stephanie Kraft. I will not support making a group pay if they are going to light up just the media center. Till said if the district did not charge groups for their energy use, it would be subsidizing every nonprofit group in the county. I didnt think that was the intent of the school district, Till said. He said the school district spent $40 million for energy usage this year, and noted that energy costs are expected to increase 15 percent to 18 percent next year. Jeffrie Herrmann, scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America South Florida Council, said he was encouraged by the development. What they were talking about before would have absolutely been cost-prohibitive for many groups, not just the Boy Scouts, he said. I dont know what the electricity charges will be, but it would have to be a lot less than they were talking about earlier this month, so potentially this sounds like wonderful news. Groups such as the Girl Scouts, which has said it cannot afford a rental fee, saluted the proposed policy, but expressed concern about the light-usage fee. Leslie Roth, executive director of the Broward County Girl Scouts, said shes hoping the charge will be minimal for the 350 troops who use the schools. I feel better now than yesterday. Lets wait until the next meeting. Board members want to start implementing the policy by Oct. 1. They deferred it to the next board meeting in August. In other business, the board passed a code of conduct policy that will ban students from bringing cell phones or pagers, scooters or skates to school. However, most of the six board members who voted to pass the policy say they plan to revisit the issue soon because they want to hear from parents and students on the issue. People use cell phones and beepers as safety devices, said board member Judie Budnick. I dont want to see an AP [assistant principal] strip-searching students to see who has a cell phone. Board member Lois Wexler stressed that the board needed more input from parents. The only reason Im voting for it is so I can bring it back on the agenda, said board member Stephanie Kraft. The board also voted to adopt tighter rules for uniform waivers and stiffer penalties for students who break the dress code at the 60 elementary and middle schools that require students to wear them. The new policy requires parents to file for an exemption within 10 days of enrolling a child in school. No exemptions would be allowed after that. Budnick said she is pro-uniforms, but I dont need a written explanation. [Parents] do not have to justify why a child isnt in uniform, they just have to say no.

The following article confirms the bear attack report I posted earlier and provides at least a partial explanation for the attack. _________________ Hungry Bears Attacking Humans in New Mexico By David Bennett SANTA FE, N.M. (Reuters) - A series of attacks on humans by hungry bears has left New Mexicans as wary of their beloved mountains as some Floridians are of their beaches following recent shark attacks. Residents of the southwestern state are taking new precautions after a black bear broke into a home Aug. 18 in the mountain village of Cleveland, 50 miles northeast of Santa Fe, and killed 93-year-old great-grandmother Adelia Maestas Trujillo. The 250-pound male bear crashed through her kitchen window, most likely in search of food, then attacked the woman. She lived alone, and her mangled body was found by her son who lived nearby. The bear was tracked down and shot. It was the first deadly bear attack in New Mexico in recent memory and the product of a desperate food shortage in the animals' natural range, officials said. ``It's terrible what happened, but the bears are starving,'' said Juanita Martinez, a neighbor of the elderly victim. ''There's no food for the bears.'' Experts said the bears, who are not usually aggressive, are coming down from the isolated mountains where they live because they have little to eat. Freezing temperatures and a heavy snow in northern New Mexico on May 5 killed much of this season's fruits and berries, staples of the bears' diets. Sparse rainfall in recent years also has limited the growth of juniper berries and acorns, which are eaten by the estimated 5,000 to 6,000 black bears living in New Mexico, said Scott Brown, a spokesman for the New Mexico Game and Fish Department. The situation is not expected to change until the bears go into hibernation in January. Before that, the likelihood of more bear attacks is high because the animals will go on eating binges, consuming nearly 20,000 calories a day, as they prepare for their winter rest. Another incident occurred on Tuesday when a Taos, New Mexico, man shot a bear that had entered a home. Earlier this summer, near Ruidoso in southern New Mexico, a black bear chased three Texas boys and bit one on the ankle. And in June at Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimarron, a bear injured two Boy Scouts during a brief encounter. Joanna Lackey, division chief for the game department, said game officers have shot 43 black bears since late spring. Officers killed five bears on Monday night, Lackey said, and as many as 100 calls a day about intrusive bears are coming into her office. ``I have never seen anything like this in my 25 years here,'' she said. Baudy Martinez, who with his wife Juanita owns B'Jay's Sandwich Shop in Mora, a few miles south of Cleveland, said long-time residents of the area are accustomed to seeing bears and know they must be respected and protected. They want bears and humans to live in harmony. ``This is the path the bears have been taking for thousands of years,'' Martinez said. ``It's their natural habitat. ... The bears are precious. We have to preserve our wildlife.'' While New Mexicans struggle with their bear problem, officials in Florida are coping with a different kind of conflict between animals and humans. In July, 8-year-old Jessie Arbogast's arm was ripped off by a bull shark in northwest Florida. The Mississippi boy's uncle wrestled the shark to shore and retrieved the arm, which was reattached by surgeons. On Aug. 4, Wall Street banker Krishna Thompson was bitten as he swam off Freeport in the Bahamas. Surgeons amputated his badly mangled left leg. Over the weekend, officials in New Smyrna Beach, just south of Daytona Beach, closed a one-mile stretch of beach close to where sharks had bitten eight people recently. The number of shark attacks in the United States and the state of Florida is below last year's total so far. Worldwide, there has been only one fatal shark attack reported.

Yarrow, Should your son be elected, he should accept the honor and go to an ordeal. Then he can make a more informed decision about future involvement. Accepting membership in OA is more of a commitment to scouting than it is to OA specifically. There are a variety of ways that one can serve and meet the spirit of OA without necessarily becoming an officer in the organization. I have three sons, all of whom went through ordeals and became members. Only my youngest, still in high school, has shown any real interest in OA, getting his brotherhood this last June. I am somewhat conflicted about this. If I encourage and support him in the direction of OA involvement, he may never finish his eagle. It is hard to do both. Our council operates three different resident camps during the summer camping season, and has two other sites which are used for a variety of activities. This in turn leads the lodge to run five ordeals every year, which, in my opinion is too many. All resources are stretched thin and we, in my opinion, end up substituting quantity for quality some times. In this particular environment it would be possible for a youth to do nothing but OA activities, and still be very busy indeed. To repeat myself, a youth should always at least complete an ordeal if elected. If such a youth continues in scouting as an adult, and such involvement would be highly likely, that person will find it is much more difficult to become a member as an adult than it is as a youth.

Yarrow, A scout is, among other things, helpful. As far as I can tell there is no website for the national OA. At the end of this post I have pasted in the text of a "fact sheet" from the BSA National official website. I can find 60 lodge websites on the internet. There may be more. All I did was search for "order of the arrow." You need to see if one of those websites is for your local lodge. Even if your local lodge does not keep a website, you may find it useful and informative to browse some other lodge web sites. This will give you a flavor of what the OA does. Concerning youth participation, your perception is on point. Many youth are elected, go through an ordeal, and are not active in OA beyond that point. OA is an extra layer of scouting that just doesn't seem worth the extra effort to a lot of people, and frankly I can't argue with those judgments. I think OA is worthwhile, but I have not been able to support it the way I wanted to. As a matter of policy OA does not want to divert youth leadership effort away from local units. This policy by itself makes OA pretty low key in a lot of areas. One problem that arises for youth members is just getting to and from OA activities. If one is going on a troop outing, the troop arranges transportation. If one is the only youth in a unit desiring to go to an OA event, one has to persuade a parent to drive, or find transportation elsewhere. Whenever I go to an OA event I routinely reach out to other units in the area to offer rides, just for this reason. Any youth who is elected should certainly go through an ordeal. After that the youth can decide for themselves how involved they want to become. I can't say how much time a youth can expect to spend. There is always a need for lodge and chapter officers, ceremonial teams, and support at ordeals. Some lodges and chapters also organize indian dance teams, which are purely for fun. Most lodges schedule other events during a twelve month cycle. Again, more time is required. I don't know your son, or how old he is, but I think your scoutmaster is probably right. It is a serious honor, and the ordeal itself can be demanding. A twelve year old or thirteen year old may be too young to appreciate it all. Text of fact sheet below: _________________ Order of the Arrow The purpose of the Order of the Arrow is fourfold: To recognize those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit To promote Scout camping To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others History The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934. In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the national camping program of the Boy Scouts of America. Membership The OA has more than 181,000 members located in lodges affiliated with more than 300 BSA local councils. Eligibility To become a member, a youth must be a registered member of a Boy Scout troop or Varsity Scout team and hold First Class rank. The youth must have experienced 15 days and nights of camping during the two years before his election. The 15 days and nights must include one, but no more than one, long-term camp consisting of six consecutive days and five nights of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America. The balance of the camping must be overnight, weekend, or other short-term camps. Scouts are elected to the Order by their fellow troop or Varsity team members, following approval by the Scoutmaster or Varsity Scout Coach. Induction The induction ceremony, called the Ordeal, is conducted at Scout camp and is the first step toward full membership. During the experience, candidates maintain complete silence, receive small amounts of food, work on camp improvement projects, and are required to sleep alone, apart from other campers, which teaches significant values. Brotherhood Membership After 10 months of service and fulfilling certain requirements, a member may take part in the Brotherhood ceremony, which places further emphasis on the ideals of Scouting and the Order. Completion of this ceremony signifies full membership in the OA. Vigil Honor After two years of service as a Brotherhood member, and with the approval of the national Order of the Arrow Committee, a Scout may be recognized with the Vigil Honor for outstanding service to Scouting, his lodge, and the community. This honor is bestowed by special selection and is limited to one person for every 50 members registered with the lodge each year. Lodges Each Order of the Arrow lodge is granted a charter from the National Council, BSA, upon annual application by the local council. The OA lodge helps the local council provide a quality Scouting program through recognition of Scouting spirit and performance, development of youth leadership and service, promotion of Scout camping and outdoor programs, and enhancement of membership tenure. Sections An Order of the Arrow section consists of lodges within a geographic area of the region. Once every year, representatives of lodges in the section come together for a conclave to share in fellowship, skills, and training. All of the elected section chiefs form the conference committee for a national Order of the Arrow event, which is held under the guidance of the national Order of the Arrow Committee. The regional chief is the youth leader of the region elected by the section chiefs for a term of office specified by the national Order of the Arrow Committee, which coincides with the term of national chief and vice chief. This election is held in conjunction with called meetings of the section chiefs to elect the national chief and vice chief, as well as to plan a national Order of the Arrow event. The regional Order of the Arrow chairman is an adult appointed by the regional director. The professional adviser for the region is a staff member assigned to the position by the region director. National Chief and Vice Chief The national chief and vice chief are Arrowmen selected by the section chiefs, who form the national Order of the Arrow conference committee. They serve as members of the national Order of the Arrow Committee, representing the youth on national OA policy. They also serve as the presiding officers for the national OA event. Their term of office is specified by the national committee. They are advised in their responsibilities by the national committee chairman and director of the Order of the Arrow. National OA Committee Chairman The national OA committee chairman is appointed by the chairman of the national Boy Scout Committee. The professional adviser is the director of the Order of the Arrow, a member of the national Boy Scout Division staff.

This is a follow up story from the Detroit Free Press on the situation in Ann Arbor. It appears that the local scout executive may have stumbled onto a winning public relations strategy in these debates by simply calling the issue one of "choice." Who among the liberal media is opposed to choice? On bias issue, Ann Arbor gives United Way a choice August 21, 2001 BY MARYANNE GEORGE FREE PRESS ANN ARBOR BUREAU The Ann Arbor City Council approved a resolution Monday that keeps the United Way in the running for the city's charitable giving but opens the door to other fund-raising organizations that will abide by the city's nondiscrimination ordinance. The City Council was considering a resolution to withdraw from the United Way campaign because it supports the Boy Scouts, which bans homosexuals as scout leaders. But the resolution passed 6-3 Monday night gives the United Way another chance to comply with the city's nondiscrimination ordinance. The resolution was proposed after negotiations on a compromise between the council and the United Way broke down earlier this month. Council members who supported the proposal said it gave the United Way a chance to remain as a fund-raiser if it is willing to abide by the ordinance. "I want to force organizations who discriminate to the table," said Stephen Hartwell, a Democrat who coauthored the resolution. "The way to get their attention is to cut off their funding source. The perception of the United Way is that they do good work. But people need to pay attention to who they fund and who they do not fund. This a wake-up call to the community." But Mayor John Hieftje voted against the resolution, saying "It will not move the community in its resolve not to tolerate discrimination in any way." Republican Councilwoman Marcia Higgins, who had also worked on negotiations between the city and the United Way, voted against the resolution because "I don't believe it's our job to spend public tax dollars to facilitate charitable giving." However, the resolution said any giving program would be funded through deductions from the donations. Fund-raising organizations must submit proposals to the city by Oct. 31. Helen Fox, who is chairman of the city's Human Rights Commission, urged the council to abide by its antibias ordinance. "The ordinance looks good on paper but it can't do its work unless it's enforced," she said. David Sponseller, who was a scout as a child, urged the council not to withdraw support of the United Way and the Boy Scouts. "Scouting is under attack based within the homosexual organization of America. Homosexuals shouldn't lead Boy Scouts any more than men shouldn't lead Girl Scouts." Last year, the city's 950 employees donated about $45,000 to the United Way, including $25,000 to the community fund, said Jim Cieslar, president of the Washtenaw United Way. The campaign raised $8.8 million last year. Bob Poole, executive director of the Great Sauk Trail Boy Scouts Council, which serves about 18,000 scouts in eight counties including Washtenaw, said last week the issue is a matter of choice. Last year, the council received about $91,000 from the Washtenaw United Way community fund and about $46,700 from designated donations, he said. Of the 10 United Way organizations funding the Great Sauk Trail Council, only Ann Arbor is considering ending donations, Poole said.