RememberSchiff

Members of Baton Rouge EMS Explorer Post 912 attended Winterfest last Jan, 2023. From the Baton Rouge The Advocate They got to showcase what they know as part of a four-member team from Baton Rouge that competed last January (2023) in Winterfest. The Explorers program is an offshoot of the Boy Scouts of America, but members don’t have to be scouts to participate. Winterfest is an annual competition sponsored by BSA that attracts teams from across the country, going head-to-head in a variety of disciplines. It was the first time in the post’s 40-year history that it competed in Winterfest, and it came away with a second-place trophy in Advanced Trauma Assessment. Short and Calloni plan to return to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where the event returns Feb. 9 to 11. For the Advanced Trauma competition, the Baton Rouge team was presented with an emergency scenario in which they had 10 minutes to administer care to a patient, in the form of a mannequin, and explain aloud everything they were doing. Shorts recalled that carrying out the scenario was “very nerve-wracking.” However, Calloni and Shorts say they learned a lot, which is helping them prepare for the next Winterfest. “This year, we’re training even harder,” Shorts said. Calloni is currently applying to colleges and plans to major in biological science and later attend medical school. 👍 Shorts said she plans to take a course this summer to become an emergency medical technician and then seek a job with Baton Rouge EMS. She said she’s not sure if she plans to stay in EMS for good or perhaps go to medical school like Calloni. “I want to, hopefully, run the Explorers program one day,” she said. 👍 👍 More about EMS Explorer Post 912 at source: https://www.theadvocate.com/louisiana_inspired/teen-ems-explorers-spend-weekends-responding-to-emergencies/article_d888b35e-a4fc-11ee-ab60-d301f3b68ebc.html But she hasn’t forgotten about the Explorers.

Winterfest is an exciting, fun-filled, and competitive event for Explorers, Venturers, Sea Scouts & older Scouts BSA troops. Winterfest is an action-packed 2-day event filled with competitions, aquatic and STEM events, shooting sports, climbing, sports tournaments and more! Many events are related to various career fields such as Fire Service, Law Enforcement, and EMS. Participants can also enjoy snow skiing, shopping, and sightseeing in the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee. Winterfest is open to all currently registered Venturers, Explorers, Sea Scouts, and Scouts BSA of Venturing age (14+ or completed the eighth grade). 2024 Master Event Guide Go To Advisors Corner

1/8/2024(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In one of his first official visits, BSA CEO Roger Krone met with Derrick Driscoll, Chief Operating Officer of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at their headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. He was accompanied by the BSA’s Youth Protection Executive, Glen Pounder, Chief Marketing Officer Michael Ramsey, and the BSA’s General Counsel, Joseph Zirkman. In addition to Driscoll, the team met with NCMEC’s Stacy Garrett, Vice President of Content and Community Engagement, Staca Shehan, Vice President of Analytical Services and John Shehan, Senior Vice President of the Exploited Children Division and International Engagement. “The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is the nation’s leading voice in fighting child sexual abuse and exploitation,” said Krone. “The BSA has some of the most vigorous youth safety protocols of any youth-serving organization, and I believe NCMEC’s experience and insight can be indispensable in our continuing efforts to create safe spaces for youth inside and outside of Scouting.” “Both of our organizations are committed, first and foremost, to the safety of children, so it is fitting that we collaborate to share perspectives and ideas as we walk this path together,” said Krone. Krone said relationships with organizations like The Center for Missing and Exploited Children are critical because of the insight and resources they offer can strengthen efforts nationwide. “One of the purposes of this visit is to discuss how we can work together to ensure that our youth safety policies remain cutting edge and effective in a world where the tactics that abusers use to access kids get more sophisticated every day,” said Krone. “We’re not standing still. We want to evolve and advance our policies for our Scouts, families, and communities, and we strongly believe NCMEC’s resources can be an important part of that.” ... “Right now, there is no database of banned individuals,” said Dr. Michael Bourke, retired Chief Psychologist for the United States Marshals Service and chair of the BSA Youth Protection Committee. “In other words, there is no official way for organizations to share the names of individuals banned for breaking key youth protection policies." More at sources: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/01/08/2805671/0/en/BSA-s-New-CEO-Visits-the-National-Center-for-Missing-and-Exploited-Children.html https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bsa-ceo-visits-national-center-163600105.html (full article link below with audio) https://www.elpasoinc.com/bsa-s-new-ceo-visits-the-national-center-for-missing-and-exploited-children/article_b7500c9c-f4fa-5131-948a-6d2bd8c9e677.html

From the Scouting Settlement Trust website: Fourth Town Hall – January 10, 2024: As I have noted during prior Town Halls, the Scouting Settlement Trust is committed to transparency and open dialogue – including periodic Town Halls. Please join Claims Administrator Randi Ilyse Roth and me for our next Town Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. EDT / 5 p.m. PDT. During this hourlong online session, we plan to cover the following: · Update on claims processing; · Upcoming deadlines; · How to avoid common issues with Trust Matrix Claims; · Q&A from attendees. You can register for the Town Hall at this link. All attendees must register prior to the Town Hall. Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email from PwC Webcasting with a link to the Town Hall. Please note, there are capacity limits to the number of participants that can join the webcast. Therefore, we kindly ask that you only register if you truly plan to attend. Additionally, a replay of the Town Hall will be available at www.scoutingsettlementtrust.com after the Town Hall. I look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Respectfully, Hon. Barbara J. Houser (Ret.) Trustee

Thanks for the kind comments. Moderating is a group effort by a team of moderators and thoughtful members. ~RS P.S. Moderators cannot Schiff votes from one member to another.

@Scouter1962 welcome to scouter.com

Roger Krone reporting from Northern Tier... another well done.

@Maboot38 welcome to scouter.com.

Another example "Julia Totora, a 12 year old from Pitman,NJ keeps a passion for environmentalism behind her shy smile and soft-spoken voice. Most recently, Julia became the youngest recipient of New Jersey's James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader award. The James J. Florio Emerging Environmental Leader Award, which was introduced last year, recognizes a New Jersey resident currently in high school or college who demonstrates exceptional leadership and has experience coordinating environmental sustainability events. At only 12, she'd already successfully ran a petition to have plastic foam lunch trays replaced in her school, participated in making leaf packs for school groups to investigate macroinvertebrates and volunteered with her Boy Scout troop on Earth Day to educate her neighbors about water testing and waterway health in Pitman, home to an infamous Superfund site. This emerging leader has always had a passion for exploring and improving the world around her, something that led to her choosing to join Cub Scouts, and eventually Boy Scouts, over other options like Girl Scouts. (ouch) "I noticed there were a lot more chances to be outdoors," Julia explained, also mentioning her attraction to the various merit badges that were available for Boy Scouts. She is one of three girls in her troop." Scout Salute, More at source, including photos, https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2024/01/04/pitman-tween-named-emerging-leader-by-murphy-administration/72038422007/

Parents who sign up their daughters to sell Girl Scout cookies are on the hook to pay for them, according to recent lawsuits aimed to collect arrears. One set of parents named as defendants deny the claims of GSHPA and are fighting back in court. A GSHPA lawsuit filed Sept. 26, 2023 against George and Kristen Sweder of Avoca claims that in 2022 Kristen ordered 352 boxes of Girl Scout cookies totaling $1,760, by signing the agreement form. The lawsuit seeks to recoup $1,760 plus $522 in collection fees incurred by the GSHPA, for a total sought of $2,282. In a statement, GSHPA spokeswoman Cathy Hirko replied, “We understand the public’s interest in this matter, and we appreciate your inquiries. However, as this is an ongoing legal issue, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania will not provide comments or discuss details at this time. However, we can note that as a steward to our nonprofit organization, we sometimes need to take legal steps to recoup financial losses.” More about lawsuits at source (with audio): https://www.standardspeaker.com/girl-scouts-in-the-heart-of-pennsylvania-sues-parents-to-recoup-cash-never-turned-in/article_f772f4d4-4598-5099-8587-57b63d4b3e8b.html

"At the beginning of 1943, a scout group from the city of Perpignan (southern France), including the guide Jo Tasias, undertook a crazy initiative: to erect a cross on the summit of Mount Canigou, which towers 2,783 m (9,134 ft) above the French Catalonian countryside. The idea was to make a pilgrimage to pray for occupied France and for the return of prisoners. To build the cross, the scouts enlisted the help of a friend of their chaplain, Georges Margouet, a blacksmith. He completed the cross in July 1943. (Cross weighed 247 pounds) Under cloudy skies, the scouts climbed the more than 6,000 feet of ascent from the town of Prades to reach the Cortalets refuge nearer to the peak. The necessary equipment — mortar, shovels, and ropes — was hauled in a handcart. The refuge served as a base camp for the ten days of work ahead." Rest of their amazing story and photos at sources: https://aleteia.org/2024/01/03/during-nazi-occupation-scouts-put-a-cross-on-a-french-peak/ Link below has more photos, text in French. https://marmotton66.e-monsite.com/pages/mythes-et-legendes/les-deux-croix-du-canigou.html

The New Zealand Scouts Jamboree is underway in Waikato with over 4000 scouts setting up camp. The spacious surrounds of the Mystery Creek Events Centre have been transformed into a vast "tent city" for the duration of the nine-day event which has attracted scouting enthusiasts from as far away as the United States and United Kingdom. Most of the scouts are aged between 11 and 14, but a group of 14 and a half, and 15 and a half-year-olds were also invited because the last Jamboree was disrupted by the pandemic. ... The range of activities on offer includes water slides, an adventure course with a large mud bath, quad biking and water sports. For the first time this year, scouts are also able to try their hand at driving a digger. This activity is strictly supervised to high safety standards to ensure the wellbeing of both scouts and their one-on-one instructors. (Wow teaching how to safely use tools instead of outright banning their use!) Source: https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/02/over-4000-scouts-gather-in-waikato-for-jamboree/ P.S. 1/7/2024: Around 30 scouts at a jamboree in Hamilton have come down with Covid-19..."With today being the last day of the event, participants were reminded of the importance of isolating, travelling home via the most direct route and remaining masked for the duration of their journey home." https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/334693-dozens-of-scouts-catch-covid-at-jamboree.html

Dec 11, 2023 Carter Lodge conference center/library at Hidden Valley (part of 3500 acre Griswold Scout Reservation in NH) was damaged by a two alarm fire. "The cause appears to be accidental, electrical in nature. No one was in the building. There were no injuries to report," Gilmanton Fire Chief Paul Hempel said. Some may recall Carter Lodge was previously the dining hall at Hidden Valley. From Daniel Webster Council Scout Executive Jay Garee: With deep thanks to the many Scouters and friends who have reached out to support the Daniel Webster Council team in the wake of the fire at Carter Lodge last week, I wanted to share an update on what happened and where things stand. At 11:07 am on Monday, December 11th, the Gilmanton Fire Department received a fire alarm activation for Carter Lodge at Hidden Valley. Ranger Bryan Boyajian was notified and quickly arrived on the scene. Upon his arrival, he observed smoke showing from the roof of the center and rear sections of the building, with fire observed through the windows of the Library. A 2nd alarm was transmitted, which summoned mutual fire aid from departments from several surrounding communities. Within the first hour, several members of the Daniel Webster Council Executive Board and Staff had arrived on-site to offer assistance as needed. Thanks to the aggressive efforts of the Gilmanton Fire Department, the main body of the fire was contained to the Library, where the fire apparently originated. The center section of the Lodge received smoke, heat, and water damage, while the Fleetham Room and “Bell side” of the main building received less smoke damage. The exterior frame of the Lodge is mostly intact. The walls and roof survived the fire, with some interior damage to the roof framing. Most of the fire damage was contained to the rear sections of the Lodge in the areas of the Library and center kitchen/bathroom section. We are presently working to assess the Lodge and determine what elements must be either restored or replaced. Once that determination has been made, we will provide an additional update on our plans and a timetable. The building is insured, and we are working with our broker and carrier regarding the claim. We are thankful that there were no injuries as a result of the fire and deeply grateful for the rapid responses of Ranger Boyajian and the Gilmanton Fire Department, along with other camp personnel and local fire departments, to quickly bring the fire under control and prevent any further damage. As previously noted, the remaining Hidden Valley and Camp Bell facilities will continue to be available for Scouting units to use and enjoy while we address the damage to Carter Lodge. Yours in Scouting, Jay Garee Scout Executive & CEO Sources: https://www.facebook.com/GriswoldScoutReservation/ https://www.facebook.com/gilmantonfirefightersassociation/ Other Sources with photos: https://www.concordmonitor.com/Fire-at-Hidden-Valley-Boy-Scout-Camp-in-Gilmanton-53332772 https://seacoastcurrent.com/hidden-valley-scout-camp-fire/

I saw no mention of milling boards on site for building said new cabins. IMHO, that could be an interesting program area.

Inland Northwest Council SE Anthony Escobar said logging is taking place to cull diseased trees for the health and safety of the forest. "Diseased trees were identified and tagged for removal," Escobar told The Press via email Thursday. "We plan to plant saplings to replace culled trees," he said. "We also needed to create access roads, where none previously existed, in the event of fire. Reducing the deadwood throughout the camp also helps reduce the risk of potential fires." Bev Twillman belongs to the grassroots Neighbors for Responsible Growth, an organization of more than 400 people across Kootenai County who want to preserve North Idaho's wild areas for future generations. "There’s no wilderness camping without wilderness,” she continued. "They have destroyed the wilderness at Camp Easton." Any rumors of the camp being sold are false and unfounded, Escobar said. Long-term plans for the Inland Northwest Council's camps are to grow the programs offered to scouting families and the local community, he said. "Specifically, for Camp Easton, we recently built a new shotgun range, cowboy action range and we are currently accepting bids for the construction of new cabins," he said. Source with Bev Twillman aerial drone photos https://cdapress.com/news/2023/dec/30/camp-easton-logging-community-concern/

A related Eagle Scout project which caught my attention. Cooper first entered Scouting as a first-grader in Cub Scout of Pack 173 and is now a part of Boy Scout Troop 245 out of Memphis. “My dad was a Boy Scout when he was a teenager, so he knew the program and decided to put me and my brother in as Cub Scouts so we could get the full experience,” Cooper said. Cooper said his brother Gabriel, age 14, is also still in Scouting and is working on an Eagle Scout project of his own. Cooper said what made him stick with Scouting through his teenage years was the support of his family and his interest in life skills taught, such as cooking, personal management, first aid, fitness and camping. ... Cooper said it was the project portion of the Eagle Scout requirements that really motivated him to work towards achieving the rank. “I heard about a lot of Eagle Scout projects and doing cool things, and helping out on a couple of Eagle Scout projects myself,” Cooper said. Cooper said he came up with the idea himself to build the barn owl boxes as an Eagle Scout project, when an online search revealed the declining population of the owls in the area. Further online searches produced research on barn owls and how to build and paint suitable nesting boxes. “It obviously required a lot of planning, be that fundraising, figuring out where to buy the materials, planning out how to put the nesting boxes together, leading some of the other scouts in the troop in building the nesting boxes,” Cooper said. “That is the leadership part. Management is managing time, making sure it gets done quickly and efficiently.” ... Cooper said his goal is to get the boxes installed during January 2024, as barn owls begin to nest around mid-February. “Ideally it’s in a rural area with an open field or pasture, where barn owls can hunt for prey,” Cooper said. “And the box would ideally be attached to a living tree. And of course it should be away from major human activity, like roads, buildings, everything, so as not to disturb the owls.” More at source: https://www.voicenews.com/2023/12/25/st-clair-county-boy-scout-builds-boxes-to-help-michigans-endangered-owls/

"In 1924, the Wachusett Council BSA purchased 12 acres of what had been the Bullard Farm on picturesque Thorndike Pond in Dublin, N.H. to create a new Boy Scout summer camp. Since then, the camp has grown to encompass more than 220 acres, and tens of thousands of young people have spent a week or more of their summers at the camp hiking (Mt. Monadnock ), swimming, fishing, canoeing, sailing, singing songs and building friendships." Sources: https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2023/12/12/camp-wanocksett-to-mark-100-years-of-leading-scouts/ https://hnebsa.org/Camping/Camp-Wanocksett/

@Navchop Welcome to scouter.com. sending signal to @mashmaster

@NeedleandThread welcome to our campfire which IMHO could use some wood.

Peace on Earth and Goodwill. Topic locked for holidays. Update 01/02/2024: Kind and courteous please. Topic unlocked. Thank you.

Update Dec 18, 2023: Coalition submits appeal to "Each and every part of the Order Denying Motion, dated December 5, 2023" by Judge Silverstein which soundly rejected their $20M billing. Source: https://casedocs.omniagentsolutions.com/cmsvol2/pub_47373/f40851ae-4416-4ace-9667-083fe0aba97e_11681.pdf

@SSScout so noted.

Update Dec 20, 2023 CANTON, New York (WWNY) - New York state’s sex offender registry is being challenged in court by a former Boy Scout assistant scoutmaster and convicted sex offender Michael Kelsey. “He’s challenging the constitutionality of the Sex Offenders Registry Act itself, indicating that the act as constructed deprived individuals of constitutional rights,” said St. Lawrence County Attorney Stephen Button. Kelsey, convicted in 2016 of sexually abusing Boy Scouts at Camp Massawepie in the town of Piercefield, claims the sex offender registry infringes on his First Amendment rights, including his right to assembly and freedom of religion... According to the state registry, Kelsey is a Level 2 sex offender, meaning the state thinks there’s a moderate risk of repeat offense. The registry also designated him as a sexually violent offender. Kelsey is currently in the Dutchess County Jail. Officials there say Kelsey was brought in on December 5 on an alleged parole violation. More at source: https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/12/19/convicted-sex-offender-suing-slc-state-over-registry/

"If you have suggestions for improvements of the requirements or pamphlet content, please email your comments to merit.badge@scouting.org. " Source: Page 5, A Guide to Merit Badge Counseling 2022 printing https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-065.pdf

Dec 19, 2023 from NBC news: I wish they had reused the name Civilian Conservation Corps and had a bipartisan Congressional committee propose it. I fear this will become another political football. "After facing setbacks in Congress, the Biden administration has unlocked funding to launch its American Climate Corps, a new federal program that looks to employ thousands of young Americans in the clean energy, conservation and climate resilience sectors.... The new corps will be led across a partnership of federal agencies: the departments of Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, Labor and Energy, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps. ... According to the White House, nearly 50,000 people from every state and territory, including Puerto Rico, have signed up to learn more about joining the ACC since it was first announced, and a portal to apply will be launched next spring.... Five states — California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan and Washington*— have already launched climate corps programs, and the federal program will lean on them as implementing partners." More at source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/white-house-new-steps-american-climate-corps-young-jobs-rcna130254 *Note existing state climate programs: California Climate Action Corps - "The impacts to our environment and health are worsening as we experience longer and more frequent droughts, devastating wildfires, and more. Each of us has a role to play. You can take meaningful action today to help communities across our state." https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/climateactioncorps/ Colorado Climate Corps https://servecolorado.colorado.gov/colorado-climate-corps Maine Climate Corps - "The Maine Climate Corps is a strategy to meet the ambitious goals in Maine Won't Wait (Maine's Climate Plan). Volunteering and service is a defining characteristic of Maine communities, and climate action to date has been championed by countless volunteers. " https://volunteermaine.gov/serve-in-maine/climate-corps https://www.maine.gov/climateplan/ Michigan Healthy Climate Corps https://www.mihealthyclimatecorps.org/ Washington Climate Core Network https://servewashington.wa.gov/programs/washington-climate-corps-network