Hiromi

Greeting scouters from the Spoon River VAlley Young Marines of GAlesburg, Illinois. You are invited to participate in a Land Navigation foot race we will be holding July 17, 2010, at the ARGYLE LAKE STATE PARK, Colchester, Illinois 0900 The DEVILDOG CHALLENGE is a inter-youth group contest our Young Marines use as a way of testing their ability to navigate with a compass and map over a challenging terrain against other organizations that learn these same skills. It is an orienteering foot race testing endurance, navigation skills, teamwork, and adaptability. We would like to extend an invitation to other boys and girls ages 8 to 18 in the following Youth Organizations- Boy Scouts and Venture Crews, Young Marines, Civil Air Patrol, Sea Cadets, Girl Scouts, and Junior ROTC Members to join us in our land navigation challenge. Participating 4-6 member youth-only teams must use their land navigation skills and the required tools (Compass and map) to race to and locate control points using information presented to them along the way. Each control point may specify distance and azimuth to the next control point, a 6 figure grid coordinate (based on your special competition map), or a description of your course using topographic, geographic, and other descriptions of other landmarks and handrails to guide you. This is not a GPS contest- and no electric aids are allowed. This is a course set up by the Adult Staff of the Spoon River Valley Young Marines, but they are not the sponsor of this event. All participating units must fill out a State of Illinois Department of Natural Resources activity permit and fill out a Waiver of Release of Liability and submit them to Argyle Lake State Park Site Superintendent Robin Hirchee by June 25th, 2010. Forms are attached to this e-mail. The Spoon River Valley Young Marines is not an official sponsor of any event and will provide no insurance coverage for non-Young Marine Participants in land navigation and hiking activities at Argyle State Park. Therefore all organizations wishing to participate in this land navigation challenge will be required to provide proof of insurance from their respective organizations when filing their paperwork with Argyle Lake State Park. Please contact Michael Acerra- Adjutant of the Spoon River Valley Young Marines, and let him know if you will be coming so we can insure that we have enough maps for all. Adjutant Michael Acerra at 309-351-1981 acerra12@comcast.net For More Info Contact Argyle Lake State Park Website - http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/argyle.htm#Events Argyle Lake State Park Site Superintendant Robin Hirchee 309-776-5267 DNR.R1Parks@illinois.gov Unit Commander Marcos Sanchez at 309-344-7436. jjsanchez@grics.net Youth Group Application http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/ARL/arl_youthrsvp.pdf Campground Reservation http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r1/ARL/arl_camprsvp.pdf You must bring a compass to successfully navigate the Devil Dog Challenge course. You may opt for either a map compass or a lansatic compass or both. The Navigation tools allowed are a special contest course map which is a grid/contour map, a compass, and a protractor. No electronic navigation aids such as altimeters, GPS, or cell phones/walkie talkies are allowed. An optional navigational aid would be a mapping protractor. There are several types of protractorsfull circle, half circle, square, and rectangular (Figure 6-5). All of them divide the circle into units of angular measure, and each has a scale around the outer edge and an index mark. The index mark is the center of the protractor circle from which all directions are measured. You are advised to bring a light back pack and a hydration system (camel pack). For those doing the senior challenge course- a backpack with a meal and extra hydration is suggested. Optional gear- Bug repellent. Sun UV Protection. Extra socks. A hat. Sunglasses. Gloves. Protective clothing. Food. Cutting tool. First Aid kit. Campground: Argyle Lake - State Park Known as a fisherman's delight, Argyle Lake State Park has a full complement of recreational opportunities. Just seven miles from Macomb, Argyle Lake also offers picnicking, camping, hiking & boating facilities in a scenic, natural setting. With its 93-acre lake for boating & fishing, five miles of rugged foot trails through luxuriant virgin forests, & full-service campgrounds, this heavily wooded, 1,700-acre site is the ideal place to spend a day, a weekend, or longer. History Rich in local history, Argyle Hollow (now occupied by the lake) was once part of the old stage route between Galena & Beardstown. Several times a week the high-wheeled cumbersome coaches with their double teams of horses rumbled through these beautiful hills & valleys. The region itself long was a source of coal, clay & limestone. In fact, in times past it was common for individuals to open & dig their own "drift mines" to supplement their personal incomes. Several limestone quarries in the general area still are in operation today. In 1948, the state purchased the land from local farmers & homesteaders, erected the dam which created the lake & dedicated Argyle Lake State Park to the citizens of Illinois. Today, whether your preference is viewing wildflowers & fresh foliage in the spring, picnicking, fishing & boating in the summer, appreciating the brilliant fall colors or sledding & snowmobiling in the winter, Argyle Lake State Park is a great place to visit. Argyle Lake - State Park Campground Web Site Driving Direction GPS Coordinates: 40.451828, -90.804369 Campground Address: 640 Argyle Park Road Colchester, IL 62326 Campground Phone Numbers: Phone: (309) 776-3422

Dear fellow scouters, This will be my last entry on this forum. Thank you for all the interesting debates and conversations, they were illuminating. My former ASM is an inactive United States Marine. He and I researched the Young Marines, did a lot of soul searching (He didnt have to do any hand-wringing over this- he thought the scouters and units in our area were all pretty lame), and we have decided to form a Young Marine unit and not re-charter the scout and cub units we currently run. We are working with our Battalion commander getting trained and our paper-work in order. We have 12 people lined up to be on our staff. We will be called the Spoon River Valley Young Marines, and we begin Boot Camp in January 2009. I receive NRA training as Range Safety Officer next Saturday, and I will continue my training to eventually be an NRA instructor. This is so we can build and operate a firing range for our unit at Camp Bravo Romeo. There we can train for bb, 177 air rifle, and 22 small bore. I want our Young Marines to have the opportunity to have safe year round training and to compete nationally in 4-position NRA/ Winchester competitions. (Rifles once a year at Counsel summer camp doesnt cut it for me or my boys). Also- We will have a thirty foot deep 2 acre private Lake, a swimming pool, and a Certified Scuba instructor on our staff as well, so the boys and girls (it is coed) can have a decent and long term scuba diving program. We will be using the PADI SEALS TEAM national training curriculum for our diving program. Camp Jim Hill, our 50 acre private wilderness site is going great , and will be transferred from Scout to Young Marine control in December. We now have a winter shelter and a 30 foot observation tower (what a blast to have an unlimited supply of locust trees to fell and no tree hugging scouters to tell us to leave no trace!). With those locusts we have dammed the creek, built three bridges, and have begun constructing a cope-like obstacle course for our weekly PT. I have been cramming on survival books, especially the SAS encyclopedia on survival so we can teach a robust military-style bushcraft/survival program. (Yes, we will snare and hunt game, what fun.). I am no longer the scoutmaster as I was asked rather unceremoniously by my principal after my district exec notified him via a post it note to "remove me as scoutmaster immediatly". No surprise there, of course, - but what a gutless wonder the District Exec is (He hadnt spoken to me in a year- never returned an e-mail or telephone call, and has not put our scout unit on the District website it two years). My staff was never consulted, and I was never notified by Counsel- I still get the Popcorn promotion stuff in the mail though. His major complaint about me to the principal was that I didnt follow BSA rules, and the only major infraction he could site with any proof was that I ran a PT program in violation of scouting rules and traditions. Apparently everyone knows that PT is not for scouting. (I told my wife to put on my tombstone that I was fired as a scoutmaster for having boys do PT.) My ASM (teh inactive Marine) became SM and I am now his ASM. He will soon be the Young Marine Commander, and I will serve as his logistics and training officer. By virtue of this organization only a current or former marine can serve as CO. Awesome- I can never be in charge. Young Marines can march with replica rifles, and they wear woodland camouflage USMC uniforms and are allowed to wear class A B and C Marine Corps uniforms with the Young Marine insignia patch. So I think I may have found my way home. Only downside is NO CAMPAIGN HATS- in the USMC that is reserved for the Drill Instructors. I cant tell you how nervous AND psyched I am to be a part of getting this program going. We have 9 parents, a truck-driving retired Viet Nam Vet Marine, and a Catholic Priest (who formerly served in the 82nd airborne before taking his vows), on our staff. They didnt need much selling of the relative strengths of our program- they know too well of the problems of late with BSA AND GSA and Brownies and the need in our community and society for the values and manners direly lacking in kids that scouting doesnt seem to address anymore. For five years I have had my scouts asking me pleading with me- to hunt- To wear camouflage, to play paint ball. I tried to keep their testicles in place with improvised stuff that skirted and played a little loosey-goosey with the rules, like pugil stick fighting, dodge ball, and I even invented polystyrene tipped arrows to keep archery safe enough to practice right out in front of our school. We called them Pugil-Darts. We made blow guns and shot 16 penny nails up to fifty feet into Styrofoam animal targets. (That was a blast.) Their favorite game was search and evade, going on trail-less hikes wading through streams and wetlands, using rope to go up and down steep terrain, and basically roughing it- on a weekly basis. They wanted to be outside making fires, felling trees, buidling structures, and marching inparades in step and with Campaign covers. But every step of the way I got grief by the other BSA people in other troops and packs (never from a parent in our unit) even though the gutless wonder District Exec told the principal that it was a parent complaint that prompted him to expel me. (He expelled me because he had gotten word that we were going to change over to the YMs and he wanted to curtail losing a troop and pack to another organization). Fat chance. I must say that my experience with the BSA personnel has been the most regrettable part of scouting. They are strange and seem to consistently never exercise the values laid down in the scout law. The DVD and Power-point training presentations were bizarre and completely off-putting. The more training I received, the more I found myself politely backing out of the room. I found the parent-volunteers to be arrogant and patronizing to scout parents. The derbies were insane exercises in boredom that turned off many parents to scouting. (Four hours sitting on a gym floor on a sunny Saturday- only two cars allowed to race at a time- over 65 kids racing- dads getting into heated fights over results- no snacks provided- no alternative activities- no promoting of scouting to parents who were captive audiences- it was a disaster). This kind of mediocrity and inanity passes for the Status quos- worthy of patches for "quality unit"- but dads who try to make their programs actually exciting for their kids get post it notes stuck on principals doors saying that we are bad for boys. Good grief. What an organization. My first impression of the Young Marines, on the other hand, was pretty impressive. My wife and I were at an air show in Peoria some three years ago. She spotted them first. Young boys and girls in woodland camouflage with Marine Corps caps and Cadillac-black polished boots. Their bearing and demeanor were, well, Marine Corps squared away. All YES SIRS! And YES MAMS!- like the scouts in the old Frank Capra films used to speak- or the kids in Follow Me Boys. We were both floored. My wife has been pestering me over the years to consider the Young Marines every time I would pull my hair out over the idiots at Counsel. With my ASM being an inactive Marine it made the decision to go Young Marine pretty easy. We had our requisite Marine. So good bye Scouters. The Young Marines are calling me home. Pappy A little more about the Spoon River Valley Young Marines So Who Are the Spoon River Valley Young Marines? Young Marines is a challenging and exciting program that is dedicated to providing high quality physical, mental, and character building experiences to improve American youth. Young Marines offers amazing adventures and world class educational and travel opportunities including an intensive leadership laboratory that is second to none. Young Marines are trained to properly address others by using impeccable manners, good posture, and a strong assertive voice. They are expected to do their chores at home without having to be asked. Young Marines form quality relationships with veterans, political and civic leaders, and members of the business and professional community from around the country. With the help of our trained staff Young Marines will also have opportunities to learn the fundamentals of aviation, meteorology, telecommunications, economic development, logistics, engineering, and human physiology. New recruits, after successfully completing a 26 hour training regime called boot camp earn the right to wear the Young Marines Uniform along with the right to wear the Class A, B, and C uniforms of the United States Marine Corps (with young Marine insignia patch). The Young Marine rank advancement is also modeled directly after the enlisted rank of the United States Marine Corps. The Spoon River Valley Young Marines is a community organization chartering with the Young Marines, a not-for-profit 501 © (3) national youth education program for boys and girls ages 8 through the completion of High School. Currently the Young Marine Program is the fastest growing youth program in America! The Young Marines focus on character building through a combination of teamwork and leadership, self-discipline, and the promotion of a healthy drug-free lifestyle. Young Marines are required to maintain academic proficiency or improvement, respect for elders/parents, and a respectable appearance. The Young Marines strengthens the lives of America's youth by teaching the importance of self-confidence, academic achievement, honoring our veterans, good citizenship, and community service. Upon joining, the youth undergo a demanding 26 hour orientation program spread out over several weeks. This orientation program is called "Boot Camp." The youth learn the general Young Marine subjects such as history, drill, physical fitness, customs and courtesies, and military rank structure. After graduation from "Boot Camp," Young Marines are eligible to start learning more new skills, earn rank and ribbons, wear the Young Marines uniform, and participate in Unit Activities. Spoon River Valley Young Marines has a large staff of dedicated volunteers. Our staff give freely of themselves, their families, and careers by being mentors to assist in helping our Young Marines achieve success in their lives. We do this by providing a curriculum of activities to personal foster growth, teamwork, and leadership. We build self esteem and character with a sense of pride of being a Young Marine. All of the staff have a sincere interest in our Young Marines and are willing to assist in any way possible to make their tenure in the Young Marines a positive experience. We receive by giving of our time, ourselves, and our own personal experiences to reach out to our leaders of tomorrow; to see our Young Marines go on to have successful careers built upon a foundation of what they have learned in the Young Marines. Young Marines work very hard and this work pays off by instilling in them a sense of values, morals, and accepting responsibility of ones actions in dealing with peer pressure in the lives of our Young Marines at school, at home, or at play. Last but not least, is instilling the love of God, our Country, our families, and our corps that have made the United States, the home of the brave and the land of the free. Spoon River Valley Young Marines have two local wilderness training facilities: Camp Jim Hill in East Galesburg is our 48 acre wilderness outpost and survival skills training facility, and Camp Bravo Romeo in Cameron serves as our Aquatics training facility (Boating and Scuba) and Rifle Range. Camp Bravo Romeo also has a resident certified Scuba instructor, a 30 foot deep lake for year round training opportunities, and is the home port of our fleet of plywood training vessels, including the 16 foot dory and our 25 foot trimaran. Most Units conduct PT (physical training) which will consist of push-ups, side straddle hops, sit-ups, pull-ups, and a one or two mile run. Some units will also conduct teamwork or agility drills as well as close order drill, color guard drill, and/or rifle team drill. Often times classes may be given on first aid, citizenship, map and compass reading, military history, and survival skills while in the field. Units will plan camp outs (encampments) not just for the summer but all year. Units will also plan other outings such as parades and community service. Fundraising is an important part of the Young Marines business since money is an important asset in keeping the unit functional within its' daily operations. Throughout the year there are often Battalion, Regimental, Divisional and National encampments where units from around the regions and country get together. During the summer months, our Young Marines have the opportunity to attend Summer Programs such as Adventures, Challenges, Encampments, and schools (SPACES) offered by the National Headquarters. Last year the Young Marine National Headquarters spent nearly a million dollars on the summer programs for Young Marine Youth across the nation such as Scuba School, Senior or Junior Leadership School, Flight Aviation School, Band School as well as many other programs offered. YOUNG MARINE LEADERSHIP TRAITS Bearing, Courage, Decisiveness, Dependability, Endurance, Enthusiasm, Initiative, Integrity, Judgment, Justice, Knowledge, Loyalty, Tact, and Unselfishness. Once these Leadership Traits are understood and exercised, there is link between these traits and the principles of leadership. The following 11 principles are introduced to provoke thought and action. Do not be concerned about the words and phrases used, it is more important that the application of these principles are understood. When you get right down to it they are all common sense items. Click on a principle below for more information: 1. Take responsibility for your actions and the actions of those you are responsible for. 2. Know yourself and seek self improvement. 3. Set the example. 4. Develop your subordinates. 5. Ensure that a job is understood, then supervise it and carry it through to completion. 6. Know your people and look after their welfare. 7. Keep your people informed. 8. Set goals you can reach. 9. Make sound and timely decisions. 10. Know your job. 11. Teamwork. Unit Activities  Community projects to honor Veterans  Hiking and camping  Physical fitness activities and training  Character building and life skills  Community Service Participation in parades and community events  Drug resistance education First aid and CPR  Leadership training and practical application  Marksmanship and firearm safety  Scuba Training and under water adventures  Climbing Training and outings  Seamanship training and open water adventures  Aviation Training and hands on experiences What we are NOT We are NOT babysitters We DO NOT take the place of parent involvement in the Youth's lives We are NOT a recruiting force for the U.S. Armed Forces We are NOT a program for hard-case children with counseling needs. We accept only voluntary recruits and expect Spoon River Valley Young Marine Scuba Training We are affiliated with the PADI Seal Team program. Designed for young divers (kids eight and older), this program is built around action-packed AquaMissions! What's an AquaMission? It's an underwater pool adventure where kids learn scuba activities. Take AquaMission: Inner Space Specialist for example, here kids learn how to float underwater like an Astronaut. And AquaMission: Snapshot Specialist, this is where PADI Seal Team members take pictures of each other scuba diving. Supported by a video, manual and logbook, the PADI Seal Team program is broken into two parts. Part one, AquaMissions 1 - 5, teaches kids the basics of diving - things like buoyancy control, mask clearing, regulator recovery, etc. After building a solid foundation of scuba skills, kids move on to part two. Part two is full of Specialty AquaMissions. These cool dives teach kids different scuba activities. Here's a list of the Specialty AquaMissions: Creature ID Specialist Environmental Specialist Inner Space Specialist Navigation Specialist Night Specialist Safety Specialist Search & Recover Specialist Skin Diver Specialist Snapshot Specialist Wreck Specialist As you can see, PADI Seals get to sample a wide variety of dives. And the best part of the Specialty AquaMissions, they reinforce save diving skills while the kids are having fun. Get involved today - pool diving has never been this adventurous! Marksmanship and Firearm Saftey: The Spoon River Valley Young Marines are affiliated with the WINCHESTER/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and the Civilian Marksmanship Program. Young Marines will train year around in the safe handling of BB gun, 177 Air Rifle, and 22 caliber Smallbore Rifle and have the opportunity to compete in National raking four position rifle competitions. Climbing: Young Marines will learn basic techniques in rope use, climbing, and rappelling. They will have the opportunity for advanced training and will have many opportunities to use our zip line and training course at camps Jim Hill and Bravo Romeo. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) This section was designed to answer some of the questions most often asked about the Young Marines of the Marine Corps League. If your question is not listed, please send an email to our information desk so that we may direct your question to the appropriate staff member. ________________________________________ Q: What are the Young Marines? The mission of the Young Marines is to positively impact America's future by providing quality youth development programs for boys and girls that nurtures and develops its members into responsible citizens who enjoy, and promote, a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The program focuses on character building through a combination of self-discipline, teamwork and leadership, and promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Young Marine units are organized into local units located in nearly every state in the United States. Although the Young Marines is the U.S. Marine Corps' official focal program to the Department of Defense for youth Drug Demand Reduction, the Young Marines is not a recruiting force for the U.S. Marine Corps. We strive to instill the core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment adopted by the Marine Corps to each of our members. A: The Young Marines is a not-for-profit 501©3 youth education and service program for boys and girls ages 8 through high school. Q: What are The Spoon River Valley Young Marines? A: The Spoon River Valley Young Marines is the designation of the company of marines serving the greater Galesburg Area. They are under the Battalion command of the Midwest Central Young Marines located in Peoria Illinois. Every Company or unit of Young Marines has a title that usually signifies its geographic character. There are over 300 Young Marine units in the United States. Q: What age groups are represented and what are the requirements to join? A: The Young Marines is for boys and girls ages 8 through completion of high school. The only enrollment requirement is that a youth must be in good standing at school. Q: Is the Young Marines a resident program? A: No. The youths do NOT attend a "military-style" resident program. This is not a program where you send your children for an extended period. On average, units meet once or twice per week year round. Q: Is the Young Marines similar to other community-based programs? A: Yes. Young Marine units are community-based programs run by dedicated adult volunteers in over 300 communities across the United States, and overseas. Young Marine units are similar in nature to Boy/Girl Scout councils or Camp Fire chapters where the units meet once or twice a week. Q: Where do Spoon River Valley Young Marine units meet? A: Our Young Marine unit meets at various venues depending on the time of the year, the particular activities planned, and the weather. Q: How many Young Marine units are there? A: There are over 300 Young Marine units nationwide, including international units and affiliates in Okinawa, Japan, Germany and Australia. Q: Who runs the local Young Marine units? A: Each Young Marine unit is an independent community-based program lead by dedicated adult volunteers. Many of these volunteers are former, retired, active duty, or reserve Marines who believe passionately that the values they learned as Marines had a positive affect on them. They volunteer their time and make every effort to pass positive values on to those under their charge before other destructive influences take root. New volunteers are always welcome to apply, regardless of whether or not they have a background in the Armed Forces. Q: How long has the Young Marines been in existence? A: In 1959, members of the Brass City Detachment of the Marine Corps League formed the very first Young Marine unit, the Young Marines of Waterbury Connecticut. By 1960, the Waterbury unit's membership had grown to over 300 boys and 20 adult instructors. The Young Marines started gaining national attention in 1962 when the program had grown to 10 cities with over 1,500 members. The Marine Corps League officially chartered the Young Marines as a national youth organization on October 17, 1965. This date is the official "birthday" of the Young Marines. By 1975, membership was extended to females and in 1980, the Internal Revenue Service granted the Young Marines status as a not-for-profit 501©3 youth educational organization. Since the Young Marines humble beginnings, current membership has grown to over 12,000 youth and 3,000 volunteers in 42 states nationwide, and overseas. Q: Who can I contact if I have more questions? A: Your best resource is to contact the Young Marine unit nearest you directly. The contact person/volunteer at the local unit level can give you more information about their unit's activities, meeting locations and enrollment dates. ________________________________________ Joining the Spoon River Valley Young Marines: o Who can join the Young Marines? o How do I join the Young Marines? o What is Young Marine "Boot Camp"? o What happens after Young Marine "Boot Camp"? o How much does it cost to join? o Do I have to join the military if I join the Young Marines? Q: Who can join the Young Marines? A: The Young Marines is for boys and girls ages 8 through completion of high school. The only enrollment requirement is that a youth must be in good standing at school. Q: How do I join the Spoon River Valley Young Marines? A: First, locate a Young Marine unit near you. You can find the unit nearest you by visiting our unit locator. Contact the unit directly to learn more about enrollment dates, meeting times/location, unit dues. etc. Q: What is Young Marines Boot Camp? A: Upon joining a local Young Marine unit, the youth undergo an orientation program, generally spread out over several weekly meetings. This orientation program is affectionately called "Boot Camp." The youth learn the general Young Marine subjects such as history, close order drill, physical fitness, customs and courtesies, and military rank structure. The youths do NOT attend a "military-style" resident program. This is not a program where you send your children for an extended period. On average, units meet once or twice per week year round. Q: What happens after Young Marines Boot Camp? A: After graduating from "Boot Camp", Young Marines continue the character building process and begin a life-long pursuit as productive and contributing citizens in their community, During the summer months, Young Marines have the opportunity to attend Summer Programs of Adventures, Challenges, Encampments, and Schools (SPACES) offered by the National Headquarters. Q: How much does it cost to join the Young Marines? A: The cost varies from unit to unit depending on the location and economy. Q: Do I have to join the military if I enroll in the Young Marines? A: No! Our members have no commitment to serve in the United States Armed Forces as part of their membership in the Young Marines. Young Marine members enroll in the program, they do NOT enlist. The Young Marines is a youth education and service program, not a recruiting tool for the U.S. Armed Forces. While it's true that some of our former Young Marines DO choose to join the Armed Forces or attend military academies, the majority of our former Young Marines pursue their own career paths most that interest them. ________________________________________ Volunteer with the Young Marines: I'm interested in volunteering with the Young Marines. Do I have to be in the military? Q: I'm interested in volunteering with the Young Marines. Do I have to be in the military? A: Each Young Marine unit is an independent community-based program lead by dedicated adult volunteers. Many of these volunteers are former, retired, active duty, or reserve Marines who believe passionately that the values they learned as Marines had a positive effect on them. They volunteer their time and make every effort to pass positive values on to those under their charge before other destructive influences take root. New volunteers are always welcome to apply, regardless of whether or not they have a background in the Armed Forces. If you'd like to volunteer, contact the unit nearest you directly. Q: I would like to volunteer --How do I get involved? A: Call 351-1981 to find out how you can be involved in this exciting program. SUMMER OFFERINGS During the summer months, Young Marines have the opportunity to attend the Young Marines National Summer Programs of: Adventures, Challenges, Encampments, and Schools (SPACES). Schools consist of leadership courses. Adventures, have a historical emphasis and are designed with the younger child in mind. In contrast, older Young Marines can participate in Challenges. Challenges consist of training in areas such as survival skills, wilderness training, and water-based activities. Young Marine Encampments provide the opportunity for Young Marines of all ages to gather together and train as a large unit of up to 700 youth at a time. Over 3,000 Young Marines participate in the SPACES programs each year. Summer Programs (SPACES): I've seen the acronym SPACES, what is SPACES? o What summer programs are offered? o Do I have to be a Young Marine in order to sign up for SPACES? o How do I apply for SPACES? o How do registered adult volunteers apply to be chaperones for SPACES events? o Can I attend a SPACES events with my children? o Visit the S.P.A.C.E.S. 2007 page for activity and application information If you have any questions about the Young Marines summer programs (S.P.A.C.E.S.), contact our Training Department at: training@youngmarines.com A: SPACES programs generally consist of the following types of activities as seen below. Application information and requirements for 2007 will be available in December. The application process will begin on January 2, 2007. Visit our S.P.A.C.E.S. 2007 page for more information. ADVENTURES CHALLENGES ENCAMPMENTS SCHOOLS Civil War Adventure Revolutionary War Space Academy Aviation Mach II Mountain River Adventure Canadian Cadet 1 (Canada) Canadian Cadet 2 (USA) Aviation Mach III National Encampments Division Encampments Reg. Encampments Battalion Encampments Advanced Leadership School Senior Leadership School Junior Leadership School Q: Do I have to be a Young Marine in order to sign up for SPACES? A: YES. Each program has a set of application requirements, but one thing is common among all S.P.A.C.E.S. programs, the applicants must have graduated from Young Marines "boot camp" and have a minimum of one year in the Young Marines program. Q: How do registered adult volunteers apply to be chaperones for SPACES events? A: Registered adult apply in the same manner Young Marines apply, through the Young Marines Database System. Q: Can I attend a SPACES events with my children? A: If, after the close of the application period we still need adult chaperones for an event that your child has applied to, we may allow it. However, we try not to do this as we want your child to learn to interact with others independently and we have had parents that attend just to be with their children and we need adults there for all the Young Marines in attendance.

If I could ask Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) what he meant by demons, I would. "Saint Michael, Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And you, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl the world for the ruin of souls. Amen." I beleive you will indeed know people by their fruits. The fruits of public schools is rather apparent to me. And the more people consciously or otherwise try and deprive boys and girls of proper civic and spititual formation, the more societal ill and evil will spread. Pappy

If people act like demons-then demonizing them is just good journalism. It is demonic to fight organizations like BSA for their policies. That is my point of view. And an ill-informed demon is just as dangerous as a rather intentionally evil one. Pappy

This probably points to another reason why we home school our children. To us, public school, and most parochial schools for that matter, are a form of day-orphanages with a socialist authority and mandate. You are quite right I suppose. It is impossible to mix them since they are at cross purposes. Pappy

The letter of the law was violated by the woman it seems. The spirit of neighborliness was suborned by the neighbor who reported her. If you are comparing his vindictiveness or her lawlessness with any of my positions I am all ears. I understand the equality argument posed by the other posters, and I empathize, - but I think that a community can deicide that scouting is super-essential and traditional and an attachment to the school mission, like sports, and brownies. I think the school board ought to let groups of children with permission from their parents to hear presentations from visiting representatives of scouters or others. I don't see how this would go against the Public or the educational mission of the school. It seems that the reductionism approach to the public schools is ridiculous. Let the parents fill out a sheet saying what groups they would not mind their children hearing from. Some can check off scouts, some may opt to have their kids not hear the scout message. Some may opt for their children hear from the local atheist, some may not. IT could be equal access and equal choice and democratize the process more fully. Pappy

I don't see it that way. But it is probably my vision problem. Pappy

This is a correspondace and a reflection memo on how to improve Pine Wood and other Scouter events to increase outreach and to improve over-all quality for parents, scouts, and the potential for recruitment and retention form scout events. I thought this to be an interesting process. Hi ******, I used your thoughts as an opportunity to expand on some of the concerns you expressed as well as some of the ideas I have been having about what we could do to improve the experiences for ourboys and to generate more excitement for scouting in general. I have responded to your thoughts in red letter. *****Wrote: I like your ideas. I don't have a problem with ************ Hosting the event. I will keep your request on file for next year.However, concessions might be a problem. I wanted to have hot dogs & soda, ***** said that would be too messy. PAPPY WROTE:We could keep the food in the cafeteria, adjacent to the gymnasium. And we could monitor the flow of traffic between the gym, the cafeteria, and the bathrooms. We could have Boy Scouts in uniform run concessions as well so Cub s and their parents can meet scouts and see them in action and learn more about the program. **** WROTE: What we really want to do is focus on the derby. If we have to many activities going on I believe we would lose the scouts interests. PAPPY WROTE: Im not sure we had their interest on Saturday. We had their discipline of staying put on the mat for the most part, but as far as interest, focus, and enthusiasm for the derby, that was pretty tough for those younger scouts to maintain. Maybe this was a function of the fact that there were so many scouts and so few cars being raced at a time. I know that my scouts were pretty interested in the idea of the race, and leading up to it they were growing in their excitement as well. Something about the nature of the pacing, the duration, and the down time was hard on some of them and my parents. Also, it seemed to me that we had a great opportunity while we had so many scouts together at one event to be promoting upcoming scout events, and to promote scouting in general through exhibits, demonstrations, and information to take home. Questions that came to my mind were: Did our parents come away from this event knowing more about cub scouting than going into to it? Did the Cub Scouts go away from this event with good stories to spread to their non-scouting buddies at school? Did the Cub scouts meet new kids at this event, or learn about what other scouts in the District are up to, besides their car they may have made? Did the parents go away with a better impression of the Scouting program than they came in with? Could this have been a good opportunity to survey parents with an easy questionnaire? I could imagine tables being set up with Scouters teaching the boys how to make their own neckerchief slides from knotted parachute chord. Or Boy Scouts and more webelos being present to demonstrate what the Cubs have to look forward to at either Summer Camp or in Boy Scouting. I suppose the idea here is; are we taking advantage of our opportunities to sell, promote scouting to the parents and the kids? Are we doing all we can to generate excitement about scouting, so much so, that it will translate into the boys and parents leaving with a renewed and or re-energized attitude that will get them to promote scouting to other parents and boys? **** WROTE:: We could plan an Expo day some time to show off what other Packs are doing. PAPPY WROTE: Yes, we absolutely could do that. And my scouts would probably like that a lot. I think I would differentiate between a scout-centric or scout-specific event and a scout outreach event aimed at recruitment. (Which I am especially interested in pursuing). ***** WROTE: Last year our Pack held an Academic/Sports day. We choose 4 Academic Belt loops and 2 Sport Loops. The scouts came with a sack lunch and we spent a Saturday working on these belt loops. It was a great way to introduce the belt loop/pin program. We had people who specialized in these choices come to help the scouts earn them. It was lots of fun. I would like to see this expand into having all packs participate. Sort of an indoor Day Camp. PAPPY WROTE: That sounds good and it sounds like you guys are really focused on running a good Cub Scout program. You sound very confident in the Cub Scout program. I have always been more skeptical of the Cub Scout program as it is suggested by National, and have aimed at a program more focused on old fashioned scout stuff that is focused on scout games and out door stuff. I have allowed my parents and the CO to give us feedback on what type of Cub Scouting program they would like to see for their boy, and over the past nearly 5 years now it has been one not so much focused on earning advancement and awards as on an after-school program that gives the boys a strong preview of Boy Scouting (which seems to be a lot more embraced and appreciated than Cub Scouting). . But this could be the particular taste and interests of my scouting community and not something shared by others. ****** WROTE: Opening it up to the community would be fine. As long as Rules are posted. Pappy wrote: Absolutely. I think an outreach mixed scout/non-scout event would be centered on an anchor attraction, whether it be a competition of some sorts, a carnival, a camp, and etcetera. I have attached a paper at the bottom I gave to *******and ******** on ideas I had while brainstorming about possible ways to create outreach and recruitment by hosting events that would generate excitement among area boys and girls. Thanks *****. And thanks again for all the work you did for the Pine Wood Derby this year. PAPPY PROPOSAL FOR AN AGENCY TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING SCOUTING IN ITS EFFORTS AT RECRUITING< RETENTION< AND OUTREACH. The Aims and Goals of The Friends of Area Scouting, (An idea for an initiative to generate outreach and recruitment and enthusiasm for the scouting program in the greater Knox county region.) The Friends of Area Scouting would be either an independent not-for-profit organization or a subcommittee of the now existing Sha Bo Na District Committee, and its mission is to support the growth and retention of local Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venture crews in Illowa Council and specifically in the Sha Bo Na District through a variety of efforts aimed at getting the public knowledgeable and attracted to scouting as the best option for area youth. The Friends of Area Scouting may or may not be affiliated in a formal sense with the BSA or the Illowa Council or the SHa Bo Na District depending on the way we want this to run. Specifically, this mission could be accomplished by developing, organizing, and helping to run Events, Demonstrations, Contests, Publicity campaigns, Community Outreach efforts, and all things that will increase both the visibility of Cub and Boy Scouting, and aide in efforts at retention and recruitment of local Packs, Troops, and Crews and the support of formation of new units through like efforts. The Friends of Area Scouting can develop and carry out Presentations to area groups such a Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, Rotary, Lions, Red Hats, Daughters of the American Revolution, etcetera. Have the ability to set up a scouting demonstration with literature, with a promotional video, at outdoor and indoor events like boat shows in the mall, Historic reenactments, county fairs, foot ball games, etcetera. Get help from adults who arent necessarily currently scout parents but support the cause. They can get out the word, help out at an event, and lend their talents to scouting. Some ideas for the support The Friends of Area Scouting can give: The Friends of Area Scouting -Aide in increasing the visibility of area scouting in the community through helping to develop and promote events and occasions to put scouts and scouting into the public eye. The Friends of Area Scouting Help to communicate the adventure of scouting to area youth. They help to the bolster recruitment and retention of scouts by creating the impression that scouting is fun, is done by a lot of boys nationwide, is cool, and is easy to get involved with. The Friends of Area Scouting Helps to promote the message to parents and area adults through organizing outreach efforts and promotional campaigns in area organizations. The Friends of Area Scouting Helps to promote and organize inner-district and council-wide events to bring scouts together to participate in scouting on a large scale such as camporees and Klondike-like events. The Friends of Area Scouting promote scout-like events open to all area youth (age appropriate) to promote scout-like activities like Klondikes and to get kids and their parents thinking about scouting as a choice for them. The Friends of Area Scouting Helps to promote retention by offering awards, contests, and scholarships to area scouts. Through the ongoing incentive of winning recognition and prizes, it is hoped that scouts will have more encouragement and goals to remain in scouting. The Friends of Area Scouting works to raise money for a scholarship fund to pay for uniforms and other basic scout needs and to maintain a uniform bank of used uniforms. The Friends of Area Scouting works to support to growth of scouting both in numbers, quality of experience, and quality of the scouting message to the public. The ultimate goal of The Friends of Area Scouting is to have our area scouting maintain steady growth and retention. 1st annual Friar Tuck Open Archery and Woodsman Tournament Offering Cash Prizes and trophies In cooperation with the Galesburg Archery Club, and local business sponsors like Farm King and Wal-Mart. Hatchet throw Compound Bow Re-curve Long Bow Moving Target Archers Race Moving Archer Moving Target Moving Archer Long Distance Shoot Sponsored by The Friends of Area Scouting 1st Annual Youth Iron Man Overland Competition Bicycle Running-obstacle course. Who is the Fastest Kid in the West? Do you have what it takes to run the Galesburg Gauntlet? 1st Annual Youth GLADIATOR TOURNAMENT Team and Individual Do You Dare to Take The Challenge? All Age Groups categorized by Elementary 8-10 yrs, Junior High 11-13 yrs, and High School 14 18 yrs. Lake Storey, Galesburg Illinois. July 10, 2010 Sponsored by the Friends of Area Scouting Obstacle course Mud Wrestling Catapult Competition: Your team arms and launches a catapult at a target boat in Lake Storey. Pugil Stick Competition Greased Pig Spear Throwing Archery Hatchet/ Tomahawk Throwing BB and Pellet gun Pick up the rules and registration either on line at friendsofshabona.org or at you local HyVee, Farm King, Wal-Mart, or Target Stores. 1st Annual OPEN KLONDIKE! Winter Sled Race Who has the fastest Team?? Cash Prizes- Bonfire- Warming Stations- Food Concessions- We will be filming you! Open to All Area Boys and girls Ages 10 to 18 (4th Grade through High School).- Win money for youre your sports team- club- or charity. Pick up rules and registration form at your area HyVee, Farm King, or Target Stores. 7-11 OPEN Pine Wood Derby And Carnival All area boys and Girls are eligible (age 7 to 11) Lots of Prizes Family Fun Live Music Barbeque and other refreshments Other family Games and activities for children of all ages including BB-Guns, Archery, Horse Shoes,. Sponsored by Area Friends of Scouting (This message has been edited by Pappy)

SSS Scout. Prejudice is in the eye of the beholder. Scouting has been in the schools in Galesburg and has been allowed to be actively promoted in the schools in Galesburg for seventy plus years. So we have a little precedent on or side. Also- I would argue that sports leagues and the other things that you mention do not have the unique complementary qualities that scouting has towards education and rounding the American boy. (Until of late- when the multi-cultural agenda did what the communists of the thirties and forties couldnt do, and finally achieve a seemingly insurmountable beach-head in the American Public School system). So I guess that is where it falls down- take sides of lines of prejudice and call it equal for all. I for one just love to make the socialists and multi-culturists and atheists in the public schools look real bad (through accurate portrayal), so I'll keep pointing out what I believe is really behind their wall of supposed fairness. I will continue to put my faith in the American people and will continue to believe that the American Public School system and the ACLU is a paper tiger. Pappy

Merlyn and his merry band of God-less fellow travelers, Greetings and salutations from the front lines! If atheists wanted to have a atheists scout group, they would be allowed to meet at the school. But parents probably wouldn't put their child into a group of atheists scouts. But Scouting does not actively promote a specific religious point of view except that God is referred to as God, and that reverence to this God and giving thanks is important. Im sure the name God can be inter-changed with Allah in an Islamic scouting group. I want the Galesburg Public schools to fight us on this one. I want to expose them for what they are. And I don't believe for one second that CUSD 205 or you Merlyn or the United Way of Greater Knox County care one lick for Cub Scouts or their families (And I dont really believe that you care for atheist kids and their rights either).. I think that you are a bunch of atheist socialists who want to destroy religion in this country, even at the expense at denying boys scouting opportunities. All youll achieve is moving scouting into Church and Temple basements and perhaps adding to the already growing number of psychologically castrated soccer playing earth-day observing disrespectful video-game suckled long haired male lunk-heads. If you decide to move to Scandinavia, Merlyn, Ill help pay for your ticket. Pappy

There has been no discrimination done by BSA in Knox County when it comes to Cub Scouts. Cub Scouts are not trying go to sneak a religion into the schools. And the schools know this. They are offensive, and must be fought. Your point of view I find equally offensive. But I have noticed the glee you take in seeing Cub Scouting opportunities denied to children, so I don't have to pretend to understand your intentions. They are pretty well stated. The Cub Scouts in Galesburg are being pushed out of the public schools. They are increasingly being embraced by Church organizations. I am one of these groups. I actually prefer to have a religious CO. But scouts are not on par with Jehovah Witness or Islam or any religious group wishing to promote their faith. Even though scouting very indirectly promotes the idea that people should be faithful- they don't say what faith that should be. Your minority position that atheists should be given an equal seat at the table is ridiculous. What about people who believe that Jews must all die. Should they be given an equal place at the table? TO do my duty to God is never spelled out in Cub Scouting. It could mean following a Creed, a catechism, a daily ritual, no ritual what so ever. It could mean being good to your neighbor. Why couldnt someone who doubted the existence of God say that Duty to God means to them duty to right actions, right thinking, or ethical decisions? This is what it boils down to to most believers anyways. Papp

Merlyn, The School Board can say that they have never observed any Cub Scout representative or Cub Scout Pack ever demonstrating any discrimination based on religion, and or any promotion of a particular religious point of view. That would be very honest since the Cub Scout packs in Galesburg have traditionally been very secular in their outlook and have pretty much articulated the culture of the school they were based in. That goes for the folks at District and Council as well. They stay clear of mentions of God or faith in their promotional materials and activities. The school board is being cynical in their move. None of the Districts around ours has this policy in place- just like our United Way of Greater Knox County is the only United Way chapter who put in place their Non-discrimination policy and refuses to support the scouts. Why did they do this? Because they are self - described progressives that are trying to change Boy Scouting or eradicate it. Not out of fairness or legality but out of ideological warfare. I find your logic and your arguments to be the height of cynicism and mendacity. You know darned well that an atheist child (if there is such a thing), could be a Cub Scout and no one would give him a hard time. You put forward strawman arguments Merlyn I find offensive and fake. Did you have your nose bloodied a lot as a kid? I wouldnt be surprised. Pappy (This message has been edited by Pappy)

That is ridiculous and you know it. I could easily say that consciously ignoring God in all discussions of science and history is equally theological an outlook. Probably more so. Pappy

(This is letter recently sent to local papers. THis is a very troubling issue for our District. Cub Scouting enrollment is plummeting, and this will affect BS recruitment efforts -as the Webelos population contnues to decrease.) Dear Editor, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts is a dying institution in our neck of the woods, and it certainly hasnt been helped out by a school board who is so loath to scouting as to lump them in with Jehovah Witnesses and Evangelical Christians as another irritating and unwelcome proselytizing group. The cynical and mean spirited antics of the CUSD 205 to keep Cub Scout officials off the school grounds to promote scouting, (as they have done for nearly seventy years), has had a deleterious effect on recruitment and retention of scouts. Most notable are Steele and Gale schools, which have dwindled from vibrant packs of nearly a combined total of 150 boys down to a single consolidated unit of 15 Cub Scouts. Boy scouting is not a religion or a church. Cub Scouting teaches boys to respect the flag, learn about citizenship, the natural environment, stewardship and conservation, respect for adults and each other, U.S. History, and an appreciation for hygiene, physical fitness, courteous behavior, and determination to succeed at whatever you endeavor at. Scouts march in parades and wear the U.S. Flag proudly on their uniform. They have a deep respect for Native Americans, they are taught to practice leave no trace camping, and are involved in many Arbor Day plantings and clean-up efforts. How on earth could this in any way hinder the mission of Public Schools? It is a shame on the leadership of CUSD 205 that they do not allow the District Adult Scouters to promote scouting in the buildings, especially when these promotional demonstrations can be educational, motivational, and encourage the boys to participate in an organization that gets them off the streets, off the couch, and often times off drugs and other paths into the gutter. It is purely gutless and creepy to use the maneuverings of politically active lawyers to rationalize policies to keep the Cub Scouts down and out in our public schools when schools around Galesburg are allowing Cub Scouting. But maybe there is something else going on here that no one wants to talk about. Maybe the seven hundred pound gorilla in the room is the fact that the Public Schools are loaded with people who see scouting as part of a social evil that they can help eradicate. The public schools have now all but kept any mention of God or religion out of earshot from our children 7 hours or more a day. Civics and patriotism has all but been eradicated from the schools. U.S. History has been pushed to the side for Social Studies which is an ad hoc made-up discipline written by diversity committees insuring all so-called oppressed groups and left-leaning causes get equal time for our kids ears. Read any Houghton Mifflin Social Studies books if you need to be reminded of the bilge our kids are being fed. Public education has become a mockery to the idea of the educated person (which was once thought to be someone who could read a book and understand its allusions to history, religion, and the great ideas that have been promulgated over the last three millennia. An educated person would know the foundations of their civilization, their Religion, and possess the tools of Logic, Rhetoric, Grammar, to both comprehend and articulate feelings and ideas. An educated person would know how to judge the affairs of men through the lens of history because they would have been grounded in the study of great men throughout time). None of this would sound too familiar to a public educator. And now to add insult to the injury our schools are doing to our kids, they are now insinuating that there is not room at the school for the promotion of scouting. It is bad enough that schools are set up to be the worst possible environment for boys, (being forced to sit on their bottoms most of the good part of the day having to be told to do clerical work by an over-burdened social worker). But now they are helping to cut out one of the few organizations that can hope to bring public school boys experiences in nature where they can lead other boys, use a scout axe to cut and form trees into tools and shelters, go fishing and learn to survive in hostile environments and to deal with injury, and find out that the world is a lot more than school and sports and jobs and video games and perhaps the unhappy home they currently live in. . Thank Goodness for the faithful communities like Bethel Baptist Church who have been forming new Cub and Boy Scouting units and taking in the wayward boys who can no longer have a vibrant cub scout culture in their own schools. Pappy

A very timely post for me. I just got back from training this weekend. It was very enlightening. The trainers were Scoutmasters from a new local troop. They were very young, positive, and helpful (And they were in good shape too- all mountain climbers with a climbing themed troop!). The training videos were helpful as well- though the black Scoutmaster was a way better actor than the white scoutmaster. I immediately got on the horn with nearly all my scout parents and told them abou the changes to the unit. I am getting my committees lined up and have asked my parents to consider being ASMs and Assistant Cub masters. The Boy Scouts have formed their patrol and are getting ready to have their own meetings on a different day then the Cub Scouts. Denning will be on a voluntary basis for the Boy Scouts. The other areas troops have been very helpful to me, and have invited me to sit in on the District meeting. They have also invited my troop to join their troops in upcoming camp outs to see how other troops function. To address your question- I felt like calling out for help after these last two weeks (I went in for two MRIs because of extreme sciatic pain). (It made me wonder if FireKat might have made a voodoo doll of me!) But there is nothing like not being able to get around without excruciating pain to get you thinking about getting other adults to help out and to fall back on the Boy Scout system! Anyway, the phone calls went great. Lots of parents were happy I called and about 90 percent of them said that they would be wiling to serve on the committee and a few said that they wouldn't mind assisting on outings. My assistant cub master the has committed to being at the after school cub scouting program as well. (I only had den mothers before helping out). So I can appreciate you concern about the involvement of the families. I am at a place where I want to get the families as committed as I can. I want them to buy into the program and I want them to understand what the Boy Scout program is. I have to say that I think that Bob White was probably right about training. After hearing from other scoutmasters about how they lead boy run troops, I feel much more confident and sold on the concept. And congratulations to LisaBob on her troops increased enrollment. You certainly must be doing something right. Communicating yours needs are important. Knowing what your needs are - that was the hard one for me. Getting injured and losing older boys and getting trained helped me to see the light. God Bless Boy Scouts, and God Bless Baden Powell for the patrol method! Pappy (This message has been edited by Pappy)