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8/28/17 Update: Arrest in Jesup Scout fundraiser theft JESUP – One person has been charged for allegedly stealing money from Jesup Scouts during Farmers Day festivities in July. Jason Charles Cole, 21, of Oelwein, was charged with first-degree theft and third-degree burglary, according to Jesup police. More details at source link. http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-arrest-in-jesup-scout-fundraiser-theft/article_a62730a9-ee55-5d86-9d22-d40f969c0a98.html

From Greenfield Recorder Edward Goodnow was just 16 and a scout from Troop 14 in Springfield,MA when he drowned in Enfield, Conn., while attempting to save two drowning boys. He saved the first, and died trying to save the second. “A Boy Scout hero who gave his life for another†is inscribed on the Goodnow family monument in the Locust Hill Cemetery in Montague, MA. Goodnow died on Aug. 29, 1917. He and three other boys who died around the same time became the first four Scouts to receive the Boy Scouts’ Gold Honor Award for heroism. The Western Massachusetts Council of Boy Scouts of America hosted the Centennial Court of Honor. The event included speakers from the Boy Scouts organization and from Goodnow’s family. Goodnow’s death and the deaths of three other Scouts in rescue attempts shocked the founders, who had started Boy Scouts of America only seven years earlier. “It shocked them that, while they had motivated thousands of these boys to help other people at all times, suddenly these boys were dying in the effort.†Researcher and Scoutmaster Greg Motta said that according to news reports at the time, Goodnow didn’t hesitate to jump in the water and help the other people. He said that Edward was especially proud of being a Boy Scout. Though the death was tragic, it showed Goodnow’s sense of helping others and his bravery. And his choice to save those lives led to improvements in training for the Boy Scouts that would prevent other deaths. Working with the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America started requiring Boy Scouts to pass a swimming test and educate them in life-saving techniques, said Motta. Following Goodnow and another boy’s death by drowning while saving others, the BSA created or changed other measures as well, including the invention of the Buddy System. More details and photos at source http://www.recorder.com/Boy-Scout-event-Montague-12115405

A local Boy Scout historian is leading the effort in Barre, a city known as "the granite center of the world," to complete the project — a granite statue of a scout carrying a person on his shoulders. The original project ceased following the 1941 death of Italian-born artist Carlo Abate, who helped train generations of Barre artists. The Boy Scout sculpture would join three existing works of art that commemorate the city's heritage as a granite center made famous by its immigrants. "We've erected monuments throughout America and even the world and we only have three within the city," said Steve Restelli, a Barre native and former Boy Scout. There is no officially recognized first Boy Scout troop in the country and at least two other locations, one in Oklahoma and the other in Pennsylvania, also claim to be the home of the first U.S. Boy Scout troop. The Barre Scouting Monument will honor Troop #1, which was founded in Barre, Vermont in 1909. The monument will bring to life the incomplete model begun by renowned sculptor Carlo Abate. It will be a testament to Barre’s historic past and the movement that captured a nation by inspiring and shaping our youth as a sculptor shapes a block of stone in to art. The Barre Scouting Monument will pay tribute to: A City: For over 200 years, Barre has been known as the “Granite Center of the World.’ A Movement: In 1909, William Foster Milne transformed the local Boys Brigade in to Boy Scout Troop #1, the first in America. An Artist: Carlo Abate is one of Barre’s most celebrated artists and teachers What became Barre's Boy Scout Troop 1 began in the fall of 1909 when a group of boys from the First Baptist Church's Boys Brigade were asked by Scottish immigrant stone cutter William Foster Milne if they wanted to become Scouts. "We voted we did," Wallace Watt had said, recalling the moment in a 1985 interview not long before his death. Watt was 14 when the boys voted. Restelli is leading a committee seeking to raise the money for the Boy Scout statue, which will be carved out of the area's signature gray granite by local artist Giuliano Cecchinelli II. "It wasn't easy to find someone to take on the project," Restelli said. "Artists are pretty reluctant to take over somebody else's work and then finish it. It's not really their own." Once completed, the life-sized Boy Scout statue will take its place in the heart of downtown Barre, outside the old train station, another example of the city's granite roots. The original unfinished plaster model of a uniform-wearing Scout, another boy over his shoulders in a fireman's carry, from the late 1930s sits on the second floor of the local library. (Shown below) Cecchinelli's modern model is at the Vermont Granite Museum, in Barre. https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/08/27/us/ap-us-boy-scout-statue.html?mcubz=0 https://www.timesargus.com/articles/scouting-sculpture-project-in-vital-phase/ http://scoutingmonument.com/sculptor-selected/

I don't think it's debris or impact crater was ever identified.

After earning Shotgun Merit Badge, my older son joined a local junior trap-shooting team and joined the Amateur Trapshooting Association There are other similar shotgun shooting organizations.

@@Stayseen welcome to scouter.com. No age restriction for Boy Scout shotgun shooting, though some camps may have height/weight minimums for their shotguns. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34416_Insert_Web.pdf

That was then ... since then we have had the Mars Climate Orbiter measurement failure and the need for part and tool compatibility in the International Space Station. NASA went metric 10 years ago. https://www.space.com/3332-nasa-finally-metric.html Bought a John Deere tractor and was surprised, yet prepared, that all the fasteners are metric.

Naturally, but scouts would be going green, consider the gallons of water saved from not having to wash virtual uniforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOpIwPmffFo

It does get confusing. Our local camp has female Venture staff members dressed in Native American garb in their weekly OA ceremony. They dance too, mostly as the caboose in the OA dance train. My Sunday morning mixed metaphor.

It reads like another "local option" situation. From the superfluous Scouter Code of Conduct I will not possess, distribute, transport, consume, or use any of the following items prohibited by law or in violation of any Scouting rules, regulations and policies: Alcoholic beverages or controlled substances, including marijuana. Concealed or unconcealed firearms, fireworks, or explosives. Pornography or materials containing words or images inconsistent with Scouting values. My read is if local laws and licensing are followed and the scout facility has no rules regarding alcohol or suspends those rules, then it is Octoberfest.

My understanding is the British Explorer Scouts have about 30 merit badges while the BSA has 140? Instead of using a sash, Explorer Scouts sew badges on their sleeve.

This weekend! Former New England Patriot wide receiver, Randy Moss will be there, running and raising money for charity. http://www.wvgazettemail.com/sports/20170825/randy-moss-introduces-spartan-racing-to-west-virginia Hopefully, World Jambo planners are watching.

Allow unit's local sponsors to advertise on scout clothing, etc. ?

@@Cambridgeskip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMRUHGnN29s No worry. I thought it was a good topic.

Okay then. I think we agree that many factors, one being membership policy, effect membership numbers.

Maybe a scout carries a RFID with all awards earned. Add a smartphone photo app which reads RFID. Point camera to scout and app superimposes uniform on scout with all earned awards. Virtual uniforms, what a concept.

Yes a stunning amount, the cost of a week at summer camp. Council has said as fewer families donate "their share" , the requested amount has increased. I'm told the majority of families in our troop donate $50 or less to FOS. I should have also mentioned that fatigue over the number of fundraisers was another exit factor.

Regarding membership totals, is recruitment down and/or retention down? Locally our annual recruitment has been about the same for the last 5 years but retention numbers are down. In exit interviews, parents and scouts cite costs, friends left, time commitments, and other choices as factors. The "other choices" were considered less costly and more age appropriate. In 2013, FOS here was asking for $125 as the annual council cost per scout. This year, FOS was asking for $350. Hello Xbox.

There's another controversial change needed at World Jamboree to bring the BSA in step with the rest of WOSM and the world - metric. I noticed British badge requirements for swimming and hill walking, etc have distances stated in meters and kilometers. If we the BSA are going to change, we might as well go the distance.

In another thread @@Cambridgeskip made this comment I suspect that there will be a big effort to capitalise on the world jamboree (which will give you some brilliant PR if 2007 is anything to go by), I'd expect to see some rebranding, changes to uniform* and as Ian suggested, a big push to change public attitudes. The results won't come over night, but they will eventually. *I hope I don't offend anyone but if I could make one suggestion to BSA to change its image. Lose the badge sash. Seriously. The uniform over all isn't bad, I particularly like the navy blue shirt for cubs, much better than ours, but the sash really does have to go. What other changes, besides membership being discussed in numerous other threads, may or should happen in the BSA before or here at the World Jamboree in 2019? Uniform? Celebrity front-persons for the BSA? Will there be beer at the Summit as there will be there next week for the Spartan event?

@@ianwilkins , @@Cambridgeskip well said.

Exactly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kbTbg00AJU

My understanding from LDS news releases below is not all those boys will "filter back" only those who desire to advance to Eagle will. My guess, boys who just want to continue in Boy Scouts will join a non-LDS troop. The Church will continue its Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs for boys ages 8 through 13 because they “meet the development program needs of boys from ages 8 through 13.†It will also be involved in Friends of Scouting. The First Presidency letter states that “young men over the age of 14 who desire to continue to work toward the rank of Eagle Scout or Queen Scout should be encouraged and supported in their efforts and should be properly registered as Scouts.†https://www.lds.org/church/news/church-replacing-varsity-and-venturing-scouting-with-new-activities-program?lang=eng&_r=1 http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/questions-answers-changes-young-men-program http://blog.utahscouts.org/eagle-scout-trail/lds-scouts-do-not-need-to-get-eagle-before-14/

The Dallas News printed this comment from BSA BSA spokeswoman Effie Delimarkos said the organization has tried to initiate talks with the Girl Scouts for months and did speak with GSUSA leaders earlier this month about identifying "potential areas of opportunities for alignment in the future." She said that while no new such programs had yet been implemented or decided, "based on numerous requests from families, the Boy Scouts has been exploring the benefits of bringing Scouting to every member of the family - boys and girls." "We are disheartened to see the Girl Scouts pull away from the possibility of cooperation to help address the needs of today's busy families," she said. In May, BSA leaders announced they would discuss adding more opportunities for girls at a meeting of chapter representatives at the organization's headquarters in Irving. Attempts to reach BSA leadership Wednesday evening were unsuccessful. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/boy-scouts/2017/08/23/girl-scouts-accuse-irving-based-boy-scouts-covert-campaign-recruit-girls-lift-falling-numbers