RememberSchiff

March, 2024: Some news releases this week that X "has been named to serve on the newly reorganized National Executive Board for Boy Scouts of America." only 1. The newly reorganized National Executive Board was announced back in Oct 19, 2023 on scoutingnewsroom and reported here 2. These recent news releases are not about new people. I guess it is a new Executive Board in a sense it is smaller but new younger blood? "The new BSA National Executive Board has been reduced from 72 to 47 members, and includes a mix of experienced board members, newly elected members, as well as eight members nominated by local BSA Councils in order to bring a better balance of historical knowledge and new perspectives. The new National Executive Board also reflects BSA efforts toward diversification, and includes 13% women and 23% racially diverse members, with plans to expand those numbers in the future." Examples: Ellie Morrison: https://thekatynews.com/2024/03/28/morrison-named-to-boy-scouts-of-america-national-executive-board/ Daniel Van Horn: https://www.elizabethton.com/2024/03/27/van-horn-named-to-boy-scouts-of-america-national-executive-board/ Thear Suzuki: https://thekatynews.com/2024/03/28/suzuki-named-to-boy-scouts-of-america-national-executive-board/

National has had some Jambo used equipment sales, for example https://scoutingwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Jamboree-Equipment-Sales-Flyer.pdf

Maybe his attendance is one of "a few surprises" he mentioned. I hope Glen Pounder will also attend and speak of problems and progress with YP since he came on board a year ago.

3/28/2024: Tomorrow last day to register. No word of online videos for forthcoming meeting.

@H2Ocaveman welcome to scouter.com

"Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, and who taught generations of climbers during his more than 250 trips up Mount Rainier, the tallest peak in Washington state, has died at age 95." Lou and his twin brother Jim Whittaker who was the first American to summit Mt. Everest began climbing in the !940's with the Boy Scouts (their Scoutmaster was a mountaineer ); both Eagle Scouts. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/lou-whittaker-legendary-mountaineer-of-mt-rainier-dead-at-95/ https://mynorthwest.com/3955899/lou-whittaker-among-most-famous-american-mountaineers-died-age-95/ https://www.seattlemet.com/travel-and-outdoors/2012/07/jim-and-lou-whittaker-august-2012 Scout Salute and Farewell,

@Newschoolscoutdad welcome to scouter.com

Bear spray? Air horn? Trek poles? Hiking staff?

03/25/2024: Taylen Robert Claude Brooks, 21, and Wyatt Jay Charles Brooks, 18, of Mount Aukum, California, were the victims in the (mountain lion) attack, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday. Taylen Brooks’ death was the first by a mountain lion in California in two decades; there have been only three verified killings by a mountain lion in the state since 1986, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife records. ... According to the sheriff’s office, the pair were antler shed hunting along Skid Road, a rural part of the county about 30 minutes north of Placerville. While walking, they noticed a mountain lion alongside them. “Both Taylen and Wyatt did what they had always learned,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “They raised their hands in the air to appear larger, yelled at the lion and Wyatt even threw his backpack at the lion, all in an attempt to scare the lion away.” ... Taylor worked as a house painter with his father, loved the outdoors and was “an extremely talented guitar player,” his family said in a statement. Wyatt is enrolled at the Mt. Adams fire academy and hopes to someday work for Cal Fire. A fund has been set up to support the family, and a memorial will be held at a later date. “A brother is a friend given by nature,” his family said. “These two brothers were driven by nature.” Source: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/california-brothers-mountain-lion-attack-19367715.php

I was curious what relevant material the CyberChip Award might have. In the Scout Cyber Chip Contract which is modelled after Scout Law Brave: If I witness any instances of cyberbullying, illegal activities, or suicidal threats, I will go directly to my parents. However from Advancement Updates 2024 "The Cyberchip has been phased out. Scouts should use the Personal Safety Awareness training at https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/scouts-bsa/ for both Scout and Star ranks." From there a video link https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/YPSAT/bullying/story.html which basically says to contact an adult and here is a government link with more links StopBullying.gov From there more passive information. What Is Cyberbullying | StopBullying.gov All states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying. As cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying, or mention cyberbullying offenses, under these laws. Schools may take action either as required by law, or with local or school policies that allow them to discipline or take other action. Some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance. You can learn about the laws and policies in each state, including if they cover cyberbullying. Laws, Policies & Regulations | StopBullying.gov <- start here. State Anti-Bullying Laws & Policies has an interactive map and list of state laws. Federal Law There is no federal law that specifically applies to bullying. In some cases, when bullying is based on race or ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion, bullying overlaps with harassment and schools are legally obligated to address it. Read more about when bullying overlaps with harassment and how to report it to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. So...from this brief glance, state cyberbully laws appear school/student centric? If so, maybe the BSA (Glen Pounder), scouters, and other groups can lobby to change that. To help other people at all times.

"The National Cryptologic Museum Scout Day was open to scouts and their families all over Maryland and beyond, with some even traveling more than two hours to take part in the festivities. Activity stations ranged from fingerprinting and robotics, to invisible ink and a scavenger hunt. With activities set up throughout the museum, kids and their parents had the opportunity to take in all kinds of lessons. In addition to cipher wheels and decoding encrypted messages, they learned about language, cryptology and the history of coding during slavery." "The National Cryptologic Museum is the only fully public museum in the Intelligence Community ". So much for that secret. More at source including photos: https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/News-Highlights/Article/Article/3703024/scouts-honored-at-national-cryptologic-museums-annual-scout-day/

I am not a lawyer. From your OP, I thought the YP issue was bullying. As I understand, harassment is a more serious crime requiring more judication beyond removal from social media or BSA. Again not a lawyer so my phrasing may be off.

IMHO, we are having a scoutlike, rational discussion here. There is more to discuss such as the ways to respond to misinformation and hate. Membership policy being set - what discretion do units and CO's currently have? Can a CO say only our congregation can be members? Can a troop still be single gender? If a policy is set, can a member can speak out against the policy without detriment to individuals. Censor and/or respond factually to online comments what is the BSA online policing policy on various platforms? I would very much like to hear Glen Pounder, BSA YP Executive, address the internet YP issues you mentioned. "Enough is enough. Stand up for our scouts, BSA. When John hops in the chat to voice his opinions on LGBTQ+ youth, that's the point where someone should have stepped in and immediately shut that down, in the clearest terms possible, and stated that such statements do not align with the membership policies of the BSA. " I can understand that visceral response but was there an opportunity lost here? Worth discussing? Teach scouts how to safely to react to discrimination and hatred in a rational way attempt to defuse the situation, report. This CBS news interview with renowned birder Christian Cooper specifically 3:30 on speaks of a rational response. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/christian-cooper-the-extraordinary-birder/ Another $0.02

Yes. A scoutlike and rational discussion please on all topics otherwise how will BSA policies and implementations improve and kids benefit. If there is a YP problem, it will not be tolerated. Settled? IMHO, membership policy is still evolving.

There is certainly more hostility and rudeness everywhere today. IMHO, correcting character mistakes by following the Scout Oath and Law is part of the game's purpose as is having the Courtesy to express our thoughts civilly and listen to other viewpoints. Maybe uniformed Scouts should, once again, be at all voting locations this November? My $0.01 for rambling,

Just to clarify my thoughts on BSA membership policy. I disagree with it (among other things) and I will speak out - in a scoutlike way to bring about IMHO positive change for kids. In moving forward, I believe we can reach workable compromises if we can agree it is for the kids. That said, we have seen repeatedly where membership policy has changed before there was the necessary prerequisite education, facilities, and resources in place. Be prepared. ~RS

As many local Councils have in the past ten years, National needs to re-evaluate the financial viability of their assets and program delivery solutions. Let questions be asked: Rebuild local camps? Can we afford Summit or will annual membership fees continue to rise to cover mortgage payments? Do we need a permanent, large Jamboree site? Have any Jamborees held there been self-sustaining financially? ... Another $0.02,

3/19/2024 excerpt from WOSM: Scouting for equality: Empowering voices against gender-based violence at UN Women’s Summit

From the Scouts of America, our well wishes to Scouter Kate for a speedy recovery. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68641441

Planning For The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve Jack Furst 1:55 "...its our hope and dream that will serve somewhere between fifty and a hundred thousand kids a summer.." Jack Furst 6:23 "... the model that we want to us for this project is a corporate for-profit model that is a capital investment that will serve us well for the next 100 years. It is going to pay huge dividends we are going to be able to serve kids on this property for the next 100 tears, They're going to come here once every 4 years for a Jamboree. They're going to come here every year for a summer camp. They're going to come here every year for a high adventure experience. We're going to have ... ...we are only limited by our creativity and our own ingenuity. The key to this project is from an operating perspective, once the capital investment has been made, is it will sustain itself economically in perpetuity. We are on the eve of our 100th anniversary. It is time for this generation of scouts to invest in our future... ...we are going to be able to serve more kids on this site than any other property that we have in the system. This site's utilization will be off the charts with a jamboree, a summer camp, a high adventure, and a leadership center, and much much more..." Jack Furst is presently a member of the National Executive Committee.

In my experience, additional adult training (Wilderness First Aid, Suicide Prevention, Autism) is often more effectively taught by volunteers at the Council Level by drawing in local expertise. Agree delivery should include virtual and streaming delivery. My $0.02,

Local option ...step by step.

3/18/2024: https://coronadotimes.com/news/2024/03/18/coronado-girl-scouts-celebrate-rosie-the-riveter-at-eponymous-rose-garden/ 3/22/2022: "Coronado Girl Scouts gathered near the Spreckels Center “Rosie the Riveter Roses” on Monday to honor “National Rosie the Riveter Day,” designed to raise awareness about the 16 million women who worked during World War II. Source includes a good interview of a "Rosie", 98 year old Betty Ridenour https://coronadotimes.com/news/2022/03/22/coronado-girl-scouts-celebrate-national-rosie-the-riveter-day-with-a-real-rosie-video/

Quick reacting women cyclists fought cougar and pinned it down with bike to rescue their friend. SCOUT SALUTE! Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/women-pinned-cougar-hand-hand-combat-friend-trapped-jaws-rcna143806

"Raluca Popa, serving as the Peace Education Team lead for the European Scout Region, brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role. Her journey started in Romania with a simple curiosity that blossomed into a profound understanding of the Movement's broader impact through her active participation in jamborees and various projects. However, he onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine ignited her interest in human rights. Stepping into action, she coordinated first responders at the Romania-Ukraine border, showcasing her dedication to humanitarian efforts. This pivotal moment propelled her into the role of Programme Officer for the initiative in collaboration with UNICEF, known as UAct: Scouts in Response for Ukraine. Through this partnership, Raluca and the team actively engaged in empowering Scouts to develop essential competencies and foster approaches aimed at promoting social cohesion and inclusion amidst challenging circumstances. Her commitment to fostering peace and unity stands as a testament to the transformative power of scouting on both a local and international scale. … Through scouting, we shape future adults who are exposed to many realities and educational contexts. This equips them with critical thinking, dialogue skills, openness to learn more about the world, and to lead with empathy, no matter what their role will be in the future: a team leader, a mayor, a CEO, or a nice fellow in the neighbourhood. This is the power of Scouting; we are raising generations of future leaders for our society who lead with empathy and commitment. " More of her interview: https://www.scout.org/news/we-find-out-how-many-things-unite-us-and-how-similar