NealOnWheels

Sure enough the National website has been updated. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/TourPlanFAQ.aspx It must be real.

The past April Fool's jokes were entertaining. The further you read into the "news report" the more ludicrous it was and became obvious it was a joke. And they were released closer to April 1st. This latest memo was written in a completely different way. It sounds serious and sincere. If this is a hoax, Richard B needs to make sure the story is set straight. A lot of units now believe it to be true. A lot of Councils, including my own, do as well.

The initials on the FAQ http://files.constantcontact.com/ac05d2b4101/a38e92b7-3a44-4f10-b81f-71ac99a7d6d8.pdfappear to be Richard Bourlon's. Perhaps he could clarify the issue.

BSA Announcement from Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh

Boy Scouts of America to begin accepting transgender boys http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-boyscouts-idUSKBN15F022

I found it under Legacy Web Tools om my.scouting.org. Looks like it is still there.

Good point! But they should at least be able to call a parent when they don't have access to their own phone.

#14 Recall a friend or relative’s phone number from memory. How about home numbers? I am shocked by the number of the scouts in my troop who do not know their home phone number. They rely on their smart phones.

Our council is changing the title for District Executives to District Associates. They are requiring them to keep detailed hourly reporting. They are capping their hours. They are prohibiting them from serving in any voluntary capacity. All because of the Dept of Labor rules becoming effective Dec 1st. One DE I know plans to quit his job since he is closely involved with a Troop in a volunteer position and does not want to give that up. Maybe the court ruling will prevent all this from happening.

Judge blocks Obama rule extending overtime pay to 4.2 million U.S. workers http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-employment-overtime-idUSKBN13H2JY

Four adults are required on a backcountry trip in case someone is injured and part of the group needs to stay with the victim while the rest of the group goes to get help.

Scouting's liability insurance does not cover unregistered volunteers.

You cannot take a boy on a camp out without registering him first because insurance will not cover him.

All patrol activities require adult supervision.

Two adults are required for a troop meeting.

There should be a nameplate on the trailer. Look up the ratings on the nameplate. Combine those ratings with the ratings of the vehicle you are considering to see if the tow vehicle can safely tow the trailer.

All adult leadership serves at the pleasure of the Chartered Organization not the Committee. That goes for the Chartered Organization Representative as well. If you feel you must take this further you should talk to the Chartered Organization Head. Don't be surprised if you don't get the results you want. The Council will not likely get involved unless there is something of a serious nature. Or you can skip the drama and move to another unit.

From the Guide to Advancement... References: Must list all six (five if not employed). If not affiliated with an organized religion, then the parent or guardian provides this reference.

Here is what our council offers our units: $10.00 for Boosting Your Recruiting Event on Facebook! Get a $10.00 credit to your Scout Unit's Council Account when you spend $10.00 Promoting your recruiting event on Facebook! Steps to earning your $10.00 credit: 1. Create Your Event Learn How Here https://www.facebook.com/help/210413455658361/?ref=u2u 2. Promote Your Event Learn How Here https://www.facebook.com/business/help/380628382074604 2A - Use the Tips Below on Audience, Budget and Scheduling to maximize your reach! 3. After your Event, send screenshots or page prints of your ad campaign showing expenses of $10.00 or more along with your unit type and number to events@lasallecouncilbsa.org 4. Receive credit to your Unit's Council Account in 7 to 10 days! Choosing Your Ad Audience Choosing your target audience can be complicated. Marketing experts have determined the ideal audience for recruiting Scouts. Locations: Choose your unit's zip code. (Be sure to limit the radius to 10 miles or less) Age: Choose 25 to 49 Gender: Choose Women More Demographics: Find Parents in the drop-down list and choose Moms Choosing Your Ad Budget Choose a Lifetime Budget of $10.00 or more. Schedule your ad to run for several days prior to the event (Ten days is a good choice). Use the Estimated Daily Reach on the right side to help you determine budget and schedule. Free Ways to Boost While your ad is running, share the event on your page about every other day. Post it with a comment such as "Please Like and Share" or "Please spread the word" Share the event on friends pages (only once!), and in yard sale groups or other community groups that would permit such a post. Event Images If you're struggling for images, try these http://www.scouting.org/Home/Marketing/Recruiting_Build/Cub_English/social.aspx Have fun recruiting all those new Scouts!

An interesting article hear about "Honorary Scouts": https://www.scoutstuff.org/media/content/docs/pdfs/BePrepared_Vol_7_No_3.pdf HONORARY SCOUTS In 1928 the BSA national council established a new recognition – Honorary Scout. James West explained it this way: Honorary Scouts “American citizens whose achievement in outdoor activity, exploration and worthwhile adventure are of such an exceptional character as to capture the imagination and stimulate their enthusiasm for the outdoor program of the Boy Scouts of America.†Eighteen men were selected as the first Honorary Scouts, including aviation pioneers Charles Lindbergh and Orville Wright. Roy Chapman Andrews Captain Bob Bartlett Frederick R. Burnham Richard E. Byrd George K. Cherry James L. Clark Merion Cooper Lincoln Ellsworth Louis Fuertes George Bird Grinnell Donald McMillan Clifford H. Pope George Palmer Putnam Kermit Roosevelt Karl Rungius Stewart Edward White Orville Wright Charles Lindbergh

Anyone notice that the chart indicates camporees are not for older scouts? Not sure I can put much faith in that chart.

So it is - thanks Chisos. Not easy to find though. You can find "Advancement" in the index. There are quite a few pages listed. It would take a long time looking at each page before you would find it. A much longer time than the typical attention span of a Scout (or mine for that matter). An index entry called "four steps of advancement" would have been better. Page references on the requirement would be better yet.

I had some older scouts helping some brand new scouts with the new Scout Rank requirements this weekend. Requirement 2b asks the scout to describe the four steps of Boy Scout advancement. This stumped the older scouts and they could not find reference to them in the new handbook. I looked over the handbook as well and could not find them. From various literature for adult scouters I am familiar with them. But it seems to me the handbook should reference them if it is a requirement. Has anyone found them in the new handbook? I miss the page references in the requirements in the last version of the handbook.

See http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Marketing/Recruiting_Build/PSAs_Eng.aspx I think it is up to each council to fund air time in local markets.

Sure they have TV and radio ads. But it generally is up to each council to run these ads. The ad spots would come out of the council's budget. I have seen a few over the years but they tend to be at less popular times and channels. See some ads here: http://www.scouting.org/Home/Marketing/Recruiting_Build/PSAs_Eng.aspx