RememberSchiff
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Posts posted by RememberSchiff
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On 11/26/2025 at 8:57 AM, RememberSchiff said:
IMHO, Scouting America should ask well-spoken Robert Gates, former president of the Boy Scouts of America and Secretary of Defense for Presidents Bush and Obama to respond.
or maybe a testimonial marketing campaign on Scouting impact, an example:
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IMHO, Scouting America should ask well-spoken Robert Gates, former president of the Boy Scouts of America and Secretary of Defense for Presidents Bush and Obama to respond.
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According to source below, this proposal calls for the Pentagon do to the following:
- pull medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree. (unclear how much this would apply to WV Guard units)
- prohibit Scouting troops from meeting at military installations in the U.S. and abroad.
- Eagle Scouts who decide to enlist also enjoy advanced (E-2 or less frequently these days E-3) military rank with better pay
NPR reported Navy Secretary John Phelan comments:
“Passive support to Scouting America through access to military installations and educational opportunities ... serve as a crucial recruiting and community engagement tool for the [Navy].” The Navy Secretary also noted that almost a third of the Navy’s officers in training have some scouting background.
Source:
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5621952-scouting-america-us-military/
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1 hour ago, Eagle94-A1 said:
Concur.
Now I have " The end of the Civil War was near when quite accidently..." in my brain. Thank you so very much @RememberSchiff. 😀
Beginning to sound like a Seinfeld episode.
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So as Scoutbook uses a B troop for boys and G troop for girls, will F troop designate a family troop?
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On 11/22/2025 at 3:09 PM, qwazse said:
I’m having a similar challenge with a family member who would rather raise funds to sponsor a scout to attend World Jamboree while I know that, for the hassle, lowering the cost to every youth (and maybe young adult) in entire contingent would be preferred. I gave our head of contingent a call, and he had just talked to a parent of a former WSJ scout who also wanted to sponsor a single scout of the contingent’s choosing.
I guess you have to work with donors as they come to you. But targeted contributions call for a lot of oversight.
On a troop level, I tell donors that we have a scoutmaster discretionary fund to allow the SM, the CC, and the treasurer to confidentially assist scouts who need it.
Yes, we have seen the need to balance the sponsor's desire for accountability (Who am I sponsoring? Where is my money going?) and a scout's privacy (I would rather no one knows.).
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In the past, I have seen Giving Tree ornaments with various Scout items requested for a child. Now I see some units are seeking sponsors for individual scouts ahead of donations for the unit ....or maybe at the end of the day the money all goes in one pot.
Saw this today about dual troops in Brookings, Oregon units
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Fundraising events are critical for sustaining the program. Funds raised, such as those from their current wreath selling effort, are directed toward maintaining their meeting hall, covering essential costs like building maintenance, new gutters, a new drain and the ever-increasing insurance fees as well as helping children join who cannot afford the fees.
A core philosophy of the leadership is ensuring that financial hardship never bars a prospective Scout from joining.
“We try and cover the cost, if we have any low-income scouts. We try to help them out,” Wilson emphasized. “We don't want any scout to be turned away just because they can't afford a uniform or anything.”
To help potential sponsors understand the financial need, (Rachel) Wilson (Committee Chair) broke down the costs for a new Scout:
• Uniform Shirt: Approximately $60.00
• Neckerchief: About $15.00
• Patches (starting numbers/badges): Between $15 and $20
• Annual Registration Fee: About $90
• Monthly Dues: $10 for the first Scout per family and $5 for each additional sibling.
While the group is currently discussing implementing a formal program for sponsoring individual children, general donations are vital for their maintenance, operational costs and to help fund Scouts who may not otherwise have an opportunity to join. "
Source:
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@Pack85 welcome back. We re-use uniforms, why not domains as well.
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Found this on Sam Houston Area Council website:
Family Troops
The National Executive Board for Scouting America approved the implementation of the combined troop option.
The family troop option will become available to all chartering organizations as a third option on December 15, 2025. The chartered organization must be a part of the discussion to decide to change to a family troop, and they must approve the decision to change the model.
Troops will continue to be able to organize as boy troops and girl troops.
Resources:
- Converting from a Family Troop (3 page pdf)
- Family Troop Best Practices (5 page pdf)
- Family Troop Decision Guide (5 page pdf)
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After months of "piloting", an important policy change, i.e.
"Coed Scouting""family troop option" is announced and in common National fashion, the implementation details and other supporting documents are not available. There are rumors of a 5-page Best Practices PDF? Contact your Council for information!
IMHO, a scout program with leadership development, outdoor adventures, and reduced membership costs grow membership. Dragnet recruiting not so much.
My $0.02 or is it a nickel now?
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Scouts Lawyer Seeks to ‘Shine a Light’ on Mass Tort System Flaws
..."In the Boy Scouts case, former clients of Slater Slater Schulman LLP approached Friedman, he said, after the settlement trustee said she stopped processing thousands of Slater claims for irregularities. The New York-based firm acknowledged its claims were being investigated over “procedural and factual problems.”
A Delaware judge next week is scheduled to hear Friedman’s unusual request to take over some Slater clients and, more pointedly, reduce or outright deny Slater’s 40% contingency fees in the case, which he estimates could top $50 million.
Slater on Thursday lashed back at Friedman, filing a response that called his motion an improper bid to interfere with their clients and “wholly untethered to any recognized legal authority.”
Friedman insists he didn’t seek out the role or the clients, saying that they approached him after reading his past public criticisms about mass tort firms gaming the system.
“I didn’t ask for this,” he told Bloomberg Law last week in an interview near his Stuart, Fla. home.
But the lawyer sees it as a golden opportunity to go beyond talking and writing about the need for change. With clients in the case, he can actively litigate the problems he says have followed mass torts into the bankruptcy system."
More at source:
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Sheesh... found this
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Our government may shutdown but Kindness and Scouting does not.
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2 minutes ago, Justin307 said:
My PLC meetings usually consist of me, my ASPL, my Troop Guide/ASPL, and Patrol Leaders. We do invite the full troop though. Along with 2-3 scoutmasters. We meet every month after our Campouts. We plan our program for meetings for the next month or two. And we plan our Campouts as well. Lately we’ve been working on planning a High Adventure, mostly it consists of anything that needs to get done.
I think you answered your own question I’m having trouble coming up with potential ideas for activities I could assign these scouts to do. Does anyone have any good activities or advice to solve this problem?
I would add, your PL's should be assigning their respective scouts tasks as planned at PLC meeting. You as SPL should ensure your PL's are leading their scouts.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Other members here will add theirs.
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Your SM has given you some meeting fallback ideas. Tell us about your PLC meetings.
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Tell us more about your leadership training prior to becoming SPL. Did you attend NYLT?
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@Justin307 Welcome to scouter.com.
Your multiple concurrent logins before joining were unusual and temporarily classified you as a spambot. Hope you are not.
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Long Island (NY) council merge.
Theodore Roosevelt Council, Scouting America voted to merge with the financially-troubled Suffolk County Council, Scouting America to form - Scouting America Long Island Council
Long Island Council will own and operate three Scout Camps including Schiff Scout Reservation and Onteora Scout Reservation and serve over 10,000 youth in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York.
Source: interesting background drama
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Recall before the membership drop, bankruptcy, covid, there was a push for all councils to publish a 5 year plan? Don't see that as much, maybe because goals were seldom met and a turn to the short term - merge and monetize.
my $0.02,
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Nice morning read with all quotes from the Eagle candidate.
“This project has done so much for me in terms of self-improvement and motivating myself and working on stuff outside of school and pushing to get it done. This is probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me in terms of that. When it comes to my future, leadership is a big part of what I am planning to enter— Public Policy/Administration, Politics, and something where I hope to have a positive influence on the world and make it a better place.”
https://thesuntimesnews.com/how-an-eagle-scout-project-benefits-the-whole-community/
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After large membership losses, Aloha Council Hawaii recently announced that 238-acre Camp Honokaia and Camp Alan Faye would be placed on the open market for sale, lease or joint venture.
"The decision has sparked outrage among Big Island Scouters who say they weren’t consulted."
More at source:
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/10/28/big-island-scouts-fight-save-beloved-camp/
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On 5/11/2024 at 7:10 AM, RememberSchiff said:
Some random concerns
I found no new rules regarding the secure (vault) storage of firearms and ammunition at camps or off-site.
"There is limited secure on-site storage. Our instructors must drive ½ mile to get to the equipment and supplies every day and the return them each night." ??? Well if off-site is more secure?
I would like to know more about the "secure storage" for this new OnTarget facility announced below. Locked room? Locked cabinet? Locked vault/safe? 24/7 alarm system? Cameras?
De-leading hand washing? No mention of lead-free ammunition.
Dry-fire shooting apps like Mantis , G-sight ?
I am seeing more focus on "facility" than "teaching" in this proposal - reminiscent of my local school board,
"The Heart of Virginia Council is planning a $1.4 million overhaul and expansion of the archery and shooting facilities at Camp T. Brady Saunders.
The new facility, which will be called OnTarget, will include features like a 3D archery course with 10 stations, a shotgun teaching station, two multi-purpose instructional pavilions, a covered five-stand shotgun range, a 16-station rifle and pistol range and a 12-station archery range.
The OnTarget name was provided by the $500,000 donor, Heart of Virginia Council CEO George McGovern added. "
More at sources:
https://scoutingevent.com/Download/602162447/SM/Center_for_Youth_Marksmanship_Case_Support__WEB.pdf < brief "secure storage" mentioned.
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@ddavis2708 welcome tp scouter.com.
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@ZebraLongwing welcome to scouter.com
Campfire Experience Survey
in Camping & High Adventure
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@brennan52 welcome to scouter.com. I cannot wait to hear our scouter advice to you on surveys.