RememberSchiff

Update 04/16/2024: Jamboree Independent Review Panel Report released "In September 2023, the World Scout Committee appointed a Review Panel for the 25th World Scout Jamboree to independently and impartially review the events associated with the 25th World Scout Jamboree. Panel members included Neil Carney (Co-Chair, Ireland), Phil Harrison (Co-Chair, Australia) Rocí­o Moreno Lopez, (Mexico), Mare Reinicke (Sweden), Ana Saldarriaga (Colombia), and Kevin Tan (Singapore), who were selected based on their demonstrable and varied subject matter expertise, and their geographic and cultural diversity of backgrounds. " "Poor communication, oversight, accountability and responsibilities led to the failures behind the organization and execution of last year's World Scout Jamboree in Korea, according to a report authored by an independent review panel and released by WOSM on April 16." Sources: How Korea's World Jamboree Became a Global Fiasco https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/04/113_373413.html 25th World Scout Jamboree, Report of the independent Review Panel (48 pages) https://wosmlzs3.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/2024-04/25th World Scout Jamboree - Report of the independent Review Panel_EN.pdf https://vcp.de/pfadfinden/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/25th-World-Scout-Jamboree-Report-of-the-independent-Review-Panel_EN.pdf WOSM acknowledges the Panel's review and recommendations, and has started addressing them. https://treehouse.scout.org/topic/25th-world-scout-jamboree-report-independent-review-panel @qwazse @AwakeEnergyScouter

IMHO. Delegate. KISS (Keep It Simple Scoutmaster) , oh and go paperless or lesspaperworkess, The Troop Committee usually has a Secretary, Activities Chair, Equipment Chair,... and the troop has a Scribe and Quartermaster. Back in the day (there he goes again), much of the same was accomplished by simply updating a troop advancement chart and calendar which was hanging on meeting room wall. My $0.02,

"Tiffany Thompson, who is the Troop Leader for Troop 10121, said that while the girls were thinking of ways to spend the profit from their cookie sales, one of them expressed interest in purchasing a well like what was done in the book “The Sparkle Box”. Thompson said the troop was actually able to make it happen thanks to a connection the West Logan Church had with a pastor in Uganda who does that kind of work. ... Thompson said the well cost around $1,800 and will be dug as part of the efforts of Pastor Paddy Musoke. Thompson said the well will come with a plaque noting that it was paid for by Girl Scout Troop 10121 from Logan, West Virginia. " Good story, more at source. https://www.loganbanner.com/news/local-girl-scout-troop-purchases-drinking-well-in-africa/article_9f7e8cfa-b205-57e7-a009-c6e058f8b9f3.html Scout salute.

BSA President & CEO Roger Krone Shares Remarks at the Know2Protect Launch Press Conference at Homeland Security

"We are so afraid of the kinds of dangers that are actually so rare that we are not allowing our children to prepare themselves for the bumps in the road of life. Then, later on they fall apart," Boston College Professor Peter Gray told WBZ-TV. "They are far better off if they have the kinds of experiences in which they learn how to judge danger themselves, how to solve their own problems, develop a certain degree of courage, learn how to deal with the small amounts of fear and anger that naturally arise in play....We've taken away a lot of recess, we've shortened the lunch hour so kids are gobbling down their food. We've increased homework and the pressure of homework. We've taken away the more enjoyable aspects of school and the inevitable result of that is school has become anxiety provoking and depressing," Gray said. ... "What can pediatricians do to ameliorate this crisis? They might talk with parents about their children’s opportunities for independent, confidence-building activities. They might present an overview of the findings of studies such as those described in this report, explain concepts such as locus of control and basic psychological needs, and ask parents about their children’s independent activities and the constraints and fears that limit those freedoms. They might brainstorm with parents about how to overcome the constraints and dampen the fears, given the child’s maturity, the neighbor- hood, and the family’s living conditions. Parents in some neighborhoods have worked together to create places and times where children can play freely with other children, with an adult present just for safety, not to manage the play. " More at sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-college-professor-peter-gray-childhood-safety-development/ https://www.petergray.org/_files/ugd/b4b4f9_f2cb98d004af4ebf9644c8daa30b040e.pdf Or they might join Scouting? This could make a good ad campaign for Scouting. I think many parents would find a pediatrician recommendation of Scouting more assuring. Like dentists endorsing Crest toothpaste. My $0.02,

"Alex Reid, from Whitwick, in Leicestershire, achieved the King's Scout Award for outstanding personal achievement. He will be visiting Windsor Castle on Sunday for a celebratory event where he will take part in a St George's Day parade with other winners. Mr Reid, who leads Whitwick Scouts, said: "It has not hit me yet." ... To achieve the award, for scouts aged between 16 and 25 years old have to complete a range of challenges including service to their community, an expedition in wild country, and a five-day residential project." More at source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-68857377

Girl Scout saves boy's life by using CPR training she learned months before harrowing event. I like Mom's comment at end. Scout salute.

It appears the GSUSA allows political involvement for their capstone award projects whereas the BSA does not. I doubt my Council Eagle Board would approve this for an Eagle Scout project. Will that change in the BSA? IMHO, I hope not as we have enough dividing us. That said, I agree with her that school/local book censorship is rather pointless when internet access is available. My $0.02,

My fact finding so far. https://www.scoutingsettlementtrust.com/s/news-and-key-links Judicial approval of an claim audit program: There was a concern by the court (and insurance companies) that claims should be further checked. https://scoutingsettlementtrust.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#Dp0000016pkB/a/Dp0000004PYq/4RRA.rXy0AZTtQ0XQ745fNYIhQh9OOJoocJ2xWiWcRM Trustee Houser's 2023 Year End Letter: https://scoutingsettlementtrust.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#Dp0000016pkB/a/Uu0000002jIn/CHwUMTG.Pzq6u6p9u4wByHCRpyrCdawARt3DfIRyM5s an extract follows: "Because we strive to operate as transparently as possible, below are key facts about the Trust’s operations in the first year. The Trust received 5,835 Expedited Distribution claims, about 79% of the expected total. Of those, 5,629 have been determined eligible for payment and 1,727 have been paid. We anticipate paying the remainder of the eligible claims as soon as those Claimants complete and return their final paperwork..." There was no further information or inference regarding the 21% determined not eligible as of 2023. Those ineligible claims may be simply incomplete (rushed?) . The Settlement Trust Quarterly reports similarly show only information of processed eligible claims. I would not characterize 21% as "many" and I would definitely NOT conclude any were necessarily fraudulent. PM exchange, one of the parties does not want to further discuss matter and has asked for his account to be deleted. Account deleted (banned). Topic unlocked. Please keep discussion scoutlike. Fact-checking with reference links is Helpful.

Scoutlike discussion? Locking for now. @Eagle1993 @gpurlee @T2Eagle @MattR

Peter Poyser, 89, "is one of the last ever boys to have received the King’s Scout award from our previous King. In July 1951, Peter aged 16, travelled to Hampton Court Palace to be given the accolade by King George VI. The King’s Scout Award is the top achievement for senior scouts (before they become adult leaders), today that is Explorer Scouts or Scout Network members who have not reached 25 Years of Age and comprises a variety of activities to complete. Now, seventy-three years later, he will be putting his original scout shirt on once again to give a speech to Explorer scouts with many of them working towards their own King’s Scout badge. " More at source including photos and documents. https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/24259287.former-scout-attend-st-georges-day-service-weymouth/ Scout Salute

04/19/2024 Iowa: Just before deadline, Gov. Reynolds signs statute of limitations bill for Iowa Boy Scout abuse victims. Sources: https://dailyiowan.com/2024/04/19/iowa-gov-kim-reynolds-signs-law-helping-boy-scout-sexual-abuse-survivors/ https://www.kcrg.com/2024/04/19/gov-reynolds-signs-bill-help-boy-scout-sex-abuse-victims/

I created those two topics in the Open Discussion-Program subforum https://www.scouter.com/topic/33762-all-things-sea-scouting/ https://www.scouter.com/topic/33763-sea-scout-recruitmentbrainstorm-here/

@withrowjs requested this new topic be created.

@withrowjsrequested new topic created

@withrowjs welcome to scouter.com. Let me have a look.

"...the most damaging development at NPR: the absence of viewpoint diversity." Thanks. Ironically perhaps, I find myself reading bbc.com more and npr less for balanced US news.

04/17/2024: U.S. to Pay Victims of Larry Nassar $100 Million Over FBI Failures "The agreement with around 100 women brings the final price-tag for settlements over the former gymnastics team doctor close to $1 billion." Sources: https://www.wsj.com/sports/olympics/larry-nassar-fbi-failures-18067a65 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/justice-department-settlement-talks-pay-100-million-larry-nassar-victi-rcna148235

4/17/2024: DHS Launches Know2Protect™ Public Awareness Campaign to Combat Online Child Exploitation and Abuse With Many Public and Private Sector Partners, including Boy Scouts of America, Google, Meta, Snap, Roblox, NASCAR, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, National Police Athletic League, and More WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Know2Protect, Together We Can Stop Online Child Exploitation™, a first-of-its-kind national public awareness campaign that brings together public and private sector partners. Key partners include high-profile technology companies, national and international sports leagues, youth-serving organizations and nonprofits, and other private sector partners to raise awareness of this heinous and growing crime and how to keep children safe. Through Know2Protect, DHS and its partners will educate and empower young people, parents, and trusted adults on ways to prevent and combat exploitation and abuse both on and offline, explain how to report incidents of these crimes, and offer support resources for victims and survivors of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Online child exploitation and abuse is reaching epidemic proportions and threatens the safety of children globally. In 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received more than 36 million CyberTipline® reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), a 360% increase over the number of reports received 10 years ago. According to the 2023 WeProtect Global Threat Assessment, the volume of child sexual abuse material has increased globally by 87% over the past five years. ... Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will collaborate with Know2Protect to promote knowledge sharing and empowerment for youth and parents. The BSA will also facilitate Project iGuardian presentations for Scouts and parents and explore developing a co-branded BSA patch in recognition of taking an in-person Project iGuardian training at the local or national level. “Safeguarding our Scouts so that we can prevent harm will always be our most important mission, and that includes their online safety,” said Boy Scouts of America President and CEO Roger Krone. “Through this collaboration with DHS, Scouting will make the Know2Protect resources available to empower more than a million youth members and adult volunteers, further enhancing our education and training initiatives to help ensure that our Scouts, leaders, and their families remain safe from online dangers.” ... More at sources: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2024/04/17/dhs-launches-know2protecttm-public-awareness-campaign-combat-online-child https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect https://www.missingkids.org/home https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians

Salomon Rushdie spoke on 60 minutes regarding censorship. "There seems to be a kind of growing orthodoxy, particularly amongst young people, that censorship … is a good thing," Rushdie told correspondent Anderson Cooper. "The thing that's different now is that it's also coming from progressive voices," he said. "There are progressive voices saying that certain kinds of speech should be not permitted because it offends against this or that vulnerable group." Rushdie said that when speech is suppressed, the people who are first impacted are often minority groups. "To support censorship in theory on behalf of vulnerable groups is a very slippery slope," Rushdie said. "It can lead to the opposite of what you want." In his interview with 60 Minutes, the author said there is value in hearing from voices that offend because they challenge people. "There's now a kind of offense industry," Rushdie explained. "Offense has become an aspect of identity politics. And my view is it's very easy for a book to stop offending you. You just shut it." Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salman-rushdie-on-censorship-in-america-today-60-minutes/

Not just glow worms, flies, lures... Might be an interesting summer camp experiment. "Commercial saltwater fishermen began dying bait blue in the 1970s to cut down on the number of seabirds caught while swordfishing. The blue made the bait fish blend into the water from a bird’s eye perspective." Sources: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/04/17/outdoors/fishing/dyed-bait-fishing-maine-joam40zk0w/ https://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/faqs/do-fish-see-in-color/

4/16/2024: Sixteen-year-old Emily Green, a first-generation Costa Rican American is a Eagle Scout. Her family came to this country with practically nothing, living in shelters, finally getting help from the Scouts. During the Report to the State, she addressed lawmakers at the Massachusetts State House. "Scouting has been instrumental in shaping my character and learning essential life skills. I started as a little girl, joining my brother, who's also an Eagle Scout, in his Scout troops. Then I joined a progressive co-ed troop and advanced through the ranks from a cub scout to Eagle Scout...For many, it is a uniform, badges, and campfires. But on a deeper level, it represents much more. It's a journey of personal growth, camaraderie, and service...From now on, I’m going to keep attending troop meetings and keep helping my troop, and helping others with more community service, and after that I’ve got college, and who knows what then," Green told the Senate. More at sources including Massachuestts membership numbers and Scouts offering her family shelter at a camp. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/16-year-old-girl-formerly-homeless-addresses-mass-lawmakers-as-eagle-scout/3341013/ https://whdh.com/news/eagle-scout-expresses-how-troop-helped-her-during-address-at-state-house/ https://www.wcvb.com/article/chelsea-teen-overcomes-adversity-earns-eagle-scout-massachusetts/60383396 Scout Salute, P.S. Add Link, BSA 2023 Report on the State of Scouting in Massachusetts https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/SD3172

@MaleficentStitch welcome to scouter.com

Here is a recent example posted earlier

Zack Gridley was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was just one year old after suffering from a double brain bleed shortly after birth. After years of developmental therapy Zack Gridley decided to join cub scouts in 2016. He's earned over 40 badges with Boy Scout Troop 55. "I would highly recommend because you get to develop a bond with people in your troop," Zack said. "Everyone helped me through this journey, and I worked very hard," Zack added. Zack's parents said though he received some accommodations on his journey, he mostly took on scout challenges on his own. "He biked on a recumbent bike 15 miles at one of his outings, so you know for someone like him.... It's a big deal for any kid that age but for him especially to be that dedicated to go out and do that ride," Zack's Father, Brad Gridley "It's very exciting to me because he's worked very hard, and he's embraced it all. I just feel like it's been a terrific thing for him to do. He's learned a lot of valuable life skills," Tammy Gridley said. "Work hard and if you want to achieve something. You can do it. But it may take a little hard work to get there,' Zack said. More at Source: https://www.katv.com/news/local/defying-odds-boy-with-cerebral-palsy-paves-unique-path-to-becoming-an-eagle-scout-zack-gridley-tammy-troop-rank-bradley Scout Salute.