RememberSchiff

Our camp tells scouts to not bring cellphones because lack of coverage, damage/theft/loss, and program distraction. Scouts still bring their cells along with a charger pack which more than lasts the week. Our unit parents decreed their scouts can carry their cellphones for safety as they already do for school and further argue 1: from YP: "All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents" and so their scouts should be able to directly contact their parents. 2. today, the cellphone is the multi-purposed device (flashlight, camera, compass, communicatios,...) which they can always carry, whereas a pocketknife less so. So far no problems. YMMV.

Director of Program and Operations Kenn Miller told MetroNews (that) visitors will be able to participate in all on-site activities at no cost, June 15, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. “As I visit with friends and neighbors in the community, what I hear is, most know about the summit. Many haven’t had the opportunity to come on the site, and we’ve opened that up to many more activities,” said Miller, who said he hoped fishing enthusiasts in particular would take advantage of an experience they otherwise may not find in the area. “We’d encourage you to bring your own gear, if that’s something you’d like to do, but we do stock our lakes, and you’re going to catch some good ones, I promise.” Miller said the addition of several new permanent structures and facilities at Bechtel Summit Reserve to accommodate participants from 150 countries in the upcoming World Scout Jamboree also will provide a unique regional venue for future events, such as concerts and religious gatherings, which typically attract thousands of people, and have the potential to generate a boost in economic activity for southern West Virginia. “We’re talking to a number of large-denomination churches, some other groups, associations. What we have to offer is pretty hard to find any place else, in the size and scale that we have at the summit. So, we do believe it’s a great resource, ” he said. “We know — certainly for the World Jamboree and even our other seasonal programming — the majority of our participants have never been to the state of West Virginia, and this is their first experience, and they’re having a great time, which means they’re going to come back and they’re going to bring their friends.” More at Source: http://wvmetronews.com/2019/05/26/summit-bechtel-reserve-to-host-community-appreciation-day-ahead-of-global-scouting-event/

Well it is still a Bill which will be debated by politicians so I put it here. IMO, the bill needs more public awareness. When it becomes law then its NEWS and I will move to Open Discussion. https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/soar-act-to-help-groups-get-outside Sound reasonable? RS

IMHO, ideally the CO should do this as they select and approve adult leaders. But the reality for me has been the CO does not do this. Since the Program (common goal) is easier to deliver with adults who are on the same page (who then attract similar adults), the unit leader and committee have to seek and recruit those adults and possibly turn away those who volunteered first. I can recall a Pack trip to a AA baseball game. We managed to get scouts and adult leaders to attend in uniform, the fact it was Scout night with a discount helped. Hurray, easier to find and keep together. Hot night, by the third inning, I noticed some leaders who were also drivers, having a beer. Heh its a ball game, gotta have a beer! Despite existing BSA guidelines regarding alcohol, we adults could not get on the same page, so no more ball games. Now, our unit is struggling with adults who use their cellphones while driving to events with scouts. IMO, guidelines are only as good as the adults. Recruit better adults. My $0.02,

The Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act, in part, would allow agencies to issue a single permit for trips that cross agency boundaries—USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—a process that is currently time-consuming and entangled in red tape. Every year, Americans spend more on outdoor recreation than they do on pharmaceuticals and fuel, combined, the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) reports. The outdoor recreation economy generates $887 billion in annual consumer spending, 7.6 million jobs, $65.3 billion in federal tax revenue, and $59.2 billion in state and local tax revenue—and it’s still growing. Recreation is a huge part of this country, but for a lot of people, there are still barriers to participate. Often, they turn to backcountry guides as their sole way of recreating. So why is it so hard for guides and their groups to access public lands? Senators—Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the bill. Source: https://www.snewsnet.com/adventure-travel/senate-introduces-simplifying-outdoor-access-for-recreation-act

You need a common goal...or enemy.

Recently heard a yet another group with the BSA - Invention Scouts , not be confused with STEM Scouts. Invention Scouts is a new program developed to help today's Co-Ed youth and young adults to "Become Better Inventors". On this Website, and at Crew meetings Invention Scouts will learn new Skills, how to work within a Team, Create new Inventions and use your new skills for Community Service. When you join Invention Scouts you will become part of an Invention Team. There are one or more Teams in a Crew. The Post or Crew has a meeting place, a chartering organization, and an Adult Advisor. There is also a Crew Committee made up of parents and other adult volunteers. Each Crew and their Invention Teams will determine their Invention focus. Their focus can change over time. For example, a team could focus on inventions in fashion, or bio-medical inventions etc. http://www.inventionscouts.org/invention-scouts

@Venda welcome to scouter.com

Interesting for disposal, by law, the national flag of Argentina is to be cut in a certain way before incinerated.

A bakery? He must have made a lot of bread to build a castle.

When I had my Cubs den, I was curious of the flag protocols of other countries. I did not find much beyond fly flag in proper orientation. Nothing about folding, disposal. Do other countries have written flag codes? Hopefully the upcoming World Jamboree will shed light.

Insoles help me. I wear Sole Reds now. I previously wore Superfeet Green which are popular. I had to experiment which gets expensive though less than a $400 custom orthopedic insert. This link will give you an idea of different brands. I have not bought from this online store. I buy Soles from local shoe store and Superfeet from REI. https://www.theinsolestore.com/backpacking-hiking-boot-insoles.html?foot_conditions=396

Did you get a belt? I'm guessing your right hand (not shown) is holding up your pants?

Back in the '70's, the 400,000 acre Alpine Lakes Wilderness was indeed in trouble. After a dedicated advocacy push — which included presenting copies of The Alpine Lakes to every member of the Senate committee — a bill to establish the wilderness area managed to pass Congress. However, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of Management and Budget all advised the President to veto the bill. The Forest Service even drafted veto language for him. Washington Governor Evans, a former Boy Scout, and champion of Washington’s wild places, managed to secure a meeting with President Ford. But along with it came some stern guidelines, “The President is very busy. You get 15 minutes — that’s it.” When Evans arrived in Washington D.C., he realized he was missing a key tool of persuasion, The Alpine Lakes book. He recalled that one of the Boy Scouts who had been in his troop was now living nearby in Maryland. It was worth a try. Evans gave his former troop member a call. “Have you got a copy of that book? Can you bring it to me tomorrow morning? I’m meeting with the President.” “Yes,” came the reply, “On one condition: you have to get the President to autograph it for me.” Equipped with The Alpine Lakes book, Evans walked into the President’s office. “I sat down with the President and then opened the book,” Evans recalls, “That 15 minutes turned into 45 minutes. Aides kept coming in and saying, ‘Mr. President, you have to get to the next meeting; you have to go.’ And he just kept leafing through that book, lost. You know he was an Eagle Scout, a hiker, a lover of the outdoors himself, and as a result, the Forest Service took a back seat, he signed the bill and Alpine Lakes was created." More details at source: https://www.mountaineers.org/blog/governor-evans-and-the-book-that-saved-the-alpine-lakes-wilderness

The Great Rivers Council's Executive Director Doug Callahan said last week that a decline in fundraising revenues — which are currently 19.1 percent of the council's budgeted income — has led to the creation of a new "flat council support fee." The Great Rivers Council covers Boy Scouts of America districts in northern, northeastern and Mid-Missouri, including the Five Rivers District that includes Cole, Osage, Gasconade, Moniteau and Maries counties. The $125 council support fee is a per unit fee. Callahan said that means it applies to Cub Scout packs, Scout BSA troops or Venture troops — which are the units. The $125 will be multiplied by how many members of a unit there are at the beginning of the year — when units are rechartered in December for 2020 — and that's how much money the pack or troop will be expected to contribute in total to the council. for more confusion, here's source: http://www.newstribune.com/news/local/story/2019/may/21/local-boy-scouts-of-america-units-to-pay-council-support-fee/779620/

Can you believe a youth leader with a some youth help, built a castle for his group? During WW1, Harry Delos Andrews was stationed as an hospital administrator in Chateau de la Roche in southern France. The posting left a lasting impression. "In the 1920s, one of Andrews’ projects was his Boy Scout-esque troop, which he named the Knights of the Golden Trail (KOGT). The group often camped along the shore of the Little Miami River, which bisects Loveland. The two plots where the group stayed were donated by families of the scouts, who obtained the land through a subscription promotion held by the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper. The KOGT spent so much time on the site that they began to leave their camping gear there, leading Andrews to want to build two stone structures as shelters. Of course, the combination of knights and stone abodes led Andrews to decide that a castle needed to be built." The Knights of the Golden Trail were said to be like a boy scout troop but based on the Ten Commandments and a Knights Code of Chivalry. Andrews refused to sell castle to Elvis Presley, and ultimately willed the castle and its ground to the Knights of the Golden Trail, who maintain it to this day. "Nothing that God ever made on the earth is more awe inspiring and heart warming than the sight of a noble youth just budding into manhood, Any man of high ideals who wishes to help save civilization is invited to become a member of the Knights of the Golden Trail." - Harry Andrews More at sources: http://mentalfloss.com/article/68755/ohios-loveland-castle-was-hand-built-midwestern-medievalist http://www.weirdus.com/states/ohio/personalized_properties/loveland_castle/index.php https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9795 I could find no current contact information for the Knights of the Golden Trail.

Oh, I was expressing a gentle reminder to all. Sorry for the confusion I created.

As a moderator, just a kindly reminder, lets NOT personally attack a minor. Adults are the culprits here. Maybe this discussion while cogent should be moved to Issues & Politics? I think we are saying the same thing, i.e., as far as we know that Council did not cooperate in this but they did not handle it either, except for possibly calling in National at the last minute. I do not know the unit, CO, Council, or Scouters involved. I could find out, but I want to keep my BP down. IMHO, this is another fine mess that a lack of leadership got us into,. My $0.01,

Perhaps she was wearing her brother's shirt and her SE was out of the loop?

Measles.... West Virginia and Scout officials are encouraging measles vaccinations for the 45,000 Scouts and leaders expected to attend. West Virginia has not had a confirmed measles case since 2009. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 23 states had 839 total confirmed measles cases as of May 10. The preventable disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The CDC says this is the greatest number of measles cases the country has seen since 1994. “Mass gatherings, like the World Scout Jamboree, create an environment that increases the risk for infectious disease occurrence and transmission due to overcrowded conditions, limited hand hygiene facilities and compromised personal hygiene practices,” state health officer Dr. Cathy Slemp wrote in a May 7 letter to Dr. John Lea, medical director for the Jamboree. She went on to write that measles is so contagious that when one person gets it, up to 90 percent of people in close contact with that person who are not immune will also become infected. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it, Slemp wrote. One in 1,000 people with measles will get brain swelling, which could lead to brain damage, according to the CDC. “The good news is that measles can be prevented with a safe, effected and inexpensive vaccine,” Slemp wrote. All attendees should have received two doses of the measles vaccine or have otherwise met requirements for presumptive immunity before the Jamboree, Slemp wrote. The only exception to the vaccine requirement should be those who medically cannot be vaccinated according to recommendations from the CDC, Slemp wrote. Scott Scheffler, a spokesman for the World Scout Jamboree, said in addition to being screened by Customs and Border agents at entry points to the U.S., participants will be screened by Jamboree health officials with the help of local health department staffs as they enter the Summit Bechtel Reserve. “In the event of an outbreak of any kind, the World Scout Jamboree has plans in place to quarantine patients impacted in order to protect the larger population of participants,” he said. “If any arriving participant shows signs of being sick, they will be examined by a Jamboree doctor before being admitted to the event.” Scheffler said the Jamboree has more than 800 medical staff, including doctors, physician assistants, nurses, EMTs and medics. Scout leaders have worked with local and regional hospitals and the West Virginia National Guard to plan for and make outside resources available to participants, he said. https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/health/ahead-of-scout-jamboree-wv-health-officials-prepare-for-possible/article_d5757cca-2b29-54f7-90cd-de90200f23e6.html

Massachusetts limits jury awards against nonprofits to $20,000. "Bay State attorneys and lawmakers are looking to abolish the charitable immunity limit on cases against nonprofits. New York, New Jersey and the majority of other states have eliminated the cap." https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/05/15/abused-boy-scout-limited-to-20000-award-due-to-archaic-state-law/

May 15, 2019 Update: An inflatable BB-gun shooting range reported stolen three weeks ago from the Rapid City headquarters of the Black Hills Area Council has been recovered, about five blocks from where it was taken. According to a Rapid City police report, officers were called to the 1100 block of Halley Avenue about 8 a.m. Tuesday after a resident had reported a large item “that seemed out of place in the alleyway behind their residence.” ... Weider said the American Legion has donated money to help pay for a new range, which resembles a inflatable bounce house or jumping castle and provides safe shooting lanes for two shooters and instructors using low-velocity BB-weaponry. Weider had ordered a replacement range from BB-gun manufacturer Daisy. However, the replacement range wouldn’t have arrived until late July, he said. “I’m glad we got it back,” Weider said. “Hopefully, it’s still usable.” More at source: https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/missing-boy-scout-bb-gun-range-recovered/article_c9680b00-4d60-5883-b8f0-f86c641870ce.html

Thanks for stepping up and speaking out. Your posts here are top scout. RS

I would like to learn more about how Councils determine and give "transfer" credit for awards from one scouting organization to another, if they do at all. About citizenship. I have met American kids stateside who followed their family heritage and joined foreign Scouting stateside units e.g., Lithuanian, Israeli. I have wondered how many other countries have their own scouts units in the US and if they have Americans in their scout ranks. I wondered if some heads rolled at that NY Council and unit. Maybe we need "instant replay"? When adults make the wrong call, the advancement decision can be reviewed and reversed. Not correcting a "mistake" by adults, "punishes" the larger group of scouters and scouts who follow the rules. My $0.02,

@BakerS welcome to scouter.com