RememberSchiff

NRA firearms instructor certification appears to be the only one the BSA recognizes. Too bad. https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/shooting-sports/ I don't see a problem with added materials from other programs.

Back in 2004/2005 The Boy Scouts have a long history of membership imbroglios. In the mid-1970s, a large council in Chicago was caught boosting minority enrollment figures. During the 1990s, councils in Los Angeles, Vicksburg, Miss., and Jacksonville, Fla., were tangled in ghost-unit controversies. In the past few months, as the Alabama case has grown from suspicions to a publicly acknowledged investigation, a civil rights leader in Atlanta has accused local Boy Scout leaders of falsifying minority enrollment figures to get more grant money. U.S. Postal Service investigators and a federal grand jury in Dallas have looked into allegations as recently as 2003 that a large Boy Scout council manipulated membership numbers. ... An independent investigation of the Atlanta area Boy Scouts found that the organization inflated its number of black Boy Scouts by nearly 5,000 in a program for inner-city youth -- including 200 Scout units that did not exist. The audit found that former Scouts too old to participate remained on the membership lists and that boys who had only attended informational meetings about the program were signed up as entire units, Sims said. "There were kids signed up who were not provided a real Scouting program," said Jesse Spikes, a lawyer who participated in the audit. In one example, an official changed the birth date of 87 Cub Scouts so they would still be young enough to participate. In another case, an official continued to report membership of a church Boy Scout unit although the church had burned down three years earlier. Because the Atlanta council pays the $20 unit charter fee and the $10 individual membership fees of Scouts in the inner-city program, auditors estimated more than $256,000 from the council's general fund -- which includes donations -- were wrongly diverted to the national Boy Scout organization because of the inflated membership numbers. Joe Beasley, regional director of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said in October that the 13-county Boy Scouts council was reporting twice as many black participants as were actively involved. Those membership numbers are used to help determine United Way funding. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45573-2005Jan28.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/31/AR2005053101285.html Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana

Our patrols have found that the food prices and selection is better at Market Basket, a New England supermarket chain. I think the only product cheaper at WalMart was Clif bars. A good lesson about saving time (convenience) and money. Pick one. My $0.02

Hi @Tired_Eagle_Feathers welcome to scouter.com

A 16 year scout climbing with a friend when a rock handhold gave way causing his fall. The friend was nearby and attempted to help but was also injured. The two teenaged boys had fallen in the remote area of Middle Rosary Lake in Northern Klamath County while on a camping trip with their Boy Scout Troop from Corvallis, Oregon https://www.klamathfallsnews.org/news/one-dead-one-injured-in-scout-camping-trip

The BSA has defined Family scouting as serving families. "Bringing the family together to experience Scouting was one of the key reasons the BSA chose to expand its programs to welcome girls." IMHO, many here are concerned with this change of focus in this new program. Family camping , minimizing patrol method, YP changes are by-products. My $0.02 for quote https://scoutingwire.org/how-cub-scouting-is-bringing-this-whole-family-together/

https://www.scouting.org/familyscouting/

So am I being over-charged or am I more of an annoyance ? I'll look into the former. It may be an added Scouting magazine or an autographed Surbaugh photo, though I have seen neither.

What I have heard from the adults in my unit... 1. There is no need for this change . A second adult or more has been more than sufficient for safety and program. What is wrong with just being a helpful parent? Why the added hassle? 2. There is no interest in paying an additional $45/year either by parent or by our unit. A scout is thrifty and the rest of us are paycheck to paycheck. 3. Another commitment is being asked of the already over-committed. It is not just one-hour online class, one $45 payment, one background check , one hour a week. They prefer the flexibility to participate as they can and if pushed they will not participate. Why turn away the help? 4. Privacy and redundancy concerns about registering and background check. Our professional parents do not understand this at all. A parent who is a RN/paramedic doesn't see the need register to serve as First Aid MBC. Where is the respect for licensed, vetted professionals? 5. If troop is boy-led, why do we suddenly need so many more adult leaders? Do we need 1 adult leader for every 4 scouts or 2 adult leaders for each scout? Our unit has 10 (no make that 9) trained, registered adult leaders for 19 scouts and with this new policy, we need more adult leaders to hold activities? More objections as they come...

Well yes they do, at least in our unit, to provide the now required second YP trained, registered leader for all scout activities. Observing my unit, this change is being viewed as more for money than anything else. Our program was working well without it. We have many qualified, involved adults who provide "strength in numbers", they are just not registered for their own reasons. Maybe it is the stick and not the carrot approach being used? In order to understand the pushback, you need to listen to adults and possibly re-evaluate. Another $0.02

It's the new paradym that parents have to be trained, registered leaders to help - follow along a hike, participate in a service project, staff a popcorn table that is not being accepted. There is no argument about requiring adult leaders to be registered and trained.

In my unit, ten days after deadline and this policy has only had a negative effect on program and fundraising . Parents are convinced this is about money, as in register more adult leaders, not safety. Our biggest fundraiser closed early as regular adult coverage was deemed non-compliant; if we are lucky we will break even. So the opinions I heard last night, the BSA does not want the help we have been providing, we now have less program with no more safety. No additional parents have stepped up to register as leaders and worse, one leader stepped down. Let's rollback to previous policy was commonly expressed. Another idea was to replace "Scouting activities" with more flexible "unit activities" to deliver program. The "unit activities" may be Scouting or Charter Organization, community, school, or even family group activities. Our parents are NOT happy.

Three women reached a $4.055 million settlement with the city of Irwindale, CA and its police department, while just last year, a fourth woman settled for nearly $3 million. All of them allege they were molested by former police Officer Daniel Camerano. "He would take these girls to isolated parts of the city that were dark and abuse them," Attorney Anthony M. DeMarco, who represents the victims, said in an interview with NBC4. Camerano was convicted in 2015 for molesting one victim. The abuse taking place betweeen 2008 and 2010 when the girls were between ages of 14-17. Their attorney said Camerano would molest them during ride-alongs, in the utility room, and in the briefing room, and alleged that other officers knew what was happening. "Just he and her into this utility room so they’d been seen going in there alone, close the door, and there for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, just the two of them," DeMarco said. Learning for Life, an offshoot of the Boy Scouts of America that organizes the police explorers nationwide program, was also named in the lawsuit. DeMarco is calling for reform so that no young person ever be allowed to ride along with officers alone. "Ride-alongs should have either two officers and one explorer, or one officer and two explorers at all times," he said. NBC4 reached out to Learning for Life and has not gotten a response. Irwindale ended its explorer program after Camerano’s conviction but he is now out of jail and a registered sex offender. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/irwindale-police-explorer-sex-abuse-lawsuit-496747991.html

Maybe it is the times, but IMO teach kindness with vigilance and fairness, a wary kindness? I have seen kindness in the workplace and I have seen unfair advantage taken leading to less kindness in the workplace. My $0.02

We teach our scouts that leadership is not only about making good decisions, but taking responsibility, reflecting, and accepting the consequences from our bad ones. The scout in the first case, appears to be applying those leadership lessons, while the scout in the second case does not. Was it is his marijuana? And if so, he had it either to smoke or sell? If I gave a SM conference to the first scout, the discussion would be long and focused on what he has learned in scouting about being a man and a father. If I gave a SM conference to the second scout, the discussion be about the Scout Oath and Law. Both scouts need our kind and helpful support. My $0.02,

@bcbro123 welcome to scouter.com

Hmm, summer camp 7 x 24 hr. Spread over 52 weeks 7 x 24 /52 adds 3.23 hrs/wk.

So true. "Groovy" and "dream on" have long since been replaced by "awesome" and "whatever".

CANBERRA, Australia -- The organisation has admitted they did not listen when some victims came forward. "We failed you, and we apologise for the pain that this has caused," Scouts chief commissioner Phil Harrison said. "Scouting sincerely hopes that the apology will help those who suffered through their time in Scouting, as well as their families who have also been affected," ... "The apology is a genuine and heartfelt admission that, for some young people, their time in Scouting was a negative experience. For this, we are truly sorry," Scouts Australia Chief Commissioner Phil Harrison said in a statement. Scouts Australia joined a national redress program that was recommended by the royal commission and began on July 1. The plan covers people who were sexually abused as children by institutional figures over decades. Payments are capped at 150,000 Australian dollars ($106,000), with previously received compensation being deducted from any new amount. Scouts, Young Men's Christian Association, better known as YMCA, Catholic Church, Anglican Church and Salvation Army were among the first organizations to sign up to the government's redress program. Harrison said Scouts Australia had listened to the royal commission, survivors' groups and individual survivors who have said an apology might help with victims' healing. Scouts Australia national general manager Cathy Morcom said while scouting organizations in some other countries participated in similar redress programs, she was not aware of any other national organization making a formal apology. Volunteer Scout leaders must now update their child safety training every three years and the organisation has adopted a National Child Protection Policy. Scouts also has a "two deep" policy which means leaders are never to be alone with a youth member. The organisation said they must look to sell some of their scout halls and camps to compensate abuse victims through the redress scheme. "In some instances, we do need to look at selling our assets," said national coordinator of redress and NSW Scouts chief commissioner Neville Tomkins. Source with apology: video http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-05/scouts-apology-for-child-sexual-abuse/10341546 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scouts-australia-formally-apologizes-to-sexual-abuse-victims/

Yes , less insulting and more informing from atheists, theists, and most of all flautists please. Thanks

Wake services will be held for Andrew McMorris at Branch Funeral Home of Miller Place on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Islip.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Wildcats Helping the Arts & Music in Shoreham, and Suffolk Boy Scout Troop 161.The entire statement from the McMorris family is as follows. Andrew McMorris was no ordinary boy.Andrew was born with a sense of wonder and amazement of the world around him, and he never lost the ability to be awed by and delighted with all it had to offer.Andrew was an artful child, and he channeled his abundant creativity through painting, acting, singing, and playing his piano, guitar, mandolin and ukulele. Always up for a costume, Andrew was Tin Man in his 5th grade production of The Wizard of Oz and of course Michael Jackson.Andrew was an active kid, and was often on the rosters of community soccer and basketball teams. This year, Andrew joined his middle school cross country team and had looked forward to running with his team in his first meet this week. He loved to ski, and looked forward to long weekends and fresh powder. He loved being outdoors, especially hiking and camping trips with his friends in Troop 161.Andrew was a dedicated community member, providing years of service through his participation with his Boy Scout Troop, Cub Scouts, and various school organizations. Serving in Boy Scouts was an honor Andrew was proud of. He dedicated to obtaining the highest honor of Eagle Scout. He participated in countless fundraisers, community clean-ups, and other projects such as tree planting and gardening. He loved to travel, and was always up for trips, visits and excursions. Together with his family, Andrew toured parts of Hawaii and Alaska, explored Paris, France, London, England and sailed Disney cruises.Bright and hardworking, Andrew was an Honor Roll student. Classmates, teachers and friends found him sometimes silly, always funny and, occasionally, a bit cheeky. He was a friend to everyone and showed kindness to all. Andrew was a loving son to Alisa and John, and a dedicated brother to Arianna. And to our larger SWR community of parents and children, Andrew was our 'son from another mother' and our 'other brother.'But more than any other characteristic, what stands out about Andrew is his desire to fly and his passion for aviation.Andrew wanted to fly before he could walk. Airplanes, helicopters and rockets were the obsession of his life, and he achieved his first piloting goal this past summer during AeroCamp. Andrew was occasionally chided by parents, coaches and teachers for "having his head in the clouds, but for Andrew, that only made sense. He wanted his whole self in the clouds, broken free of the bonds of this earth, borne up into an endless sky, with nothing but blue around him and horizon ahead, aloft and away ...Fly high, Andrew. https://abc7ny.com/family/family-of-boy-scout-killed-by-alleged-drunk-driver-speaks-out-/4403927/Scout salute, unlimted visibility Scout salute,

Assuming no disabilities, I would hope with an extension, we could expect more work (okay, I'll say it - additional requirements) from a 19-20yr old adult? Eagle candidate. Pioneering MB? Serve as an adult leader? My $0.02

IMO, this needed some more thought before announcement. One example, will using this extension apply to troop registration as well or will an 18yr old girl have to transfer to a Crew to complete her Eagle requirements?

@SarahPeas welcome to scouter.com