RememberSchiff

My understanding. Ticks first get the Lyme virus from mice and then drop off and find other warm body - another mouse, dog, deer, human. I have read that rodent population is up too - mice, squirrels, rats,.. A lot of deer means more hosts to grow tick population. Deer and other tick-infected species traveling miles to find fragmented food sources spreads ticks geographically.

@@Eph, feel free to share with the rest. Welcome to scouter.com

Light color clothing so ticks are readily seen, and staying on open trail works thus avoiding brush contact, mostly works for me. Firewood gathering and making a nature call often resulted in ticks. With stoves there is less of the former. Be prepared by first being aware. My $0.02

Yes no shortage of opinions and experience here, but we are always looking for more. Welcome to scouter.com.

We will have popcorn ready. Hmm, where to get popcorn? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ1uR19U_Ok

Welcome to scouter.com .

The Sportman Clubs will likely start you with a semi-auto which has less recoil. As @@qwazse mentioned, stock size is important for length of pull, i.e., trigger reach. Their target ammo may also be a lighter, low velocity load. 20 gauge vs 12 gauge.

Yes I noticed it too.

or BEFORE they punt the activity or Scouting as too expensive. IMO, this presentation needs to be well-considered with a heavy dose of thrifty, as in going with what you got and planning the activity accordingly. My $0.02

Let's turn down the FUD. Why carry excessive water when you can filter (Sawyer) it. Split the gear weight among tent mates and cook groups/patrols. Backpacking in NE bears little resemblance to Philmont. My $0.02

Welcome to scouter.com.

Welcome to scouter.com Agree with starting with shorter distance hikes. Some troops backpack to a base camp which might have their trailer as they are concerned about pack weight and may not have the light backpacking gear. We have found planning is easier when you start with a camp in the desired area/driving distance and then look for surrounding trails. Trails with an S, so that you have options on hiking distance and some navigation challenges. Camp Sayre in Milton,MA is adjacent to the Blue Hills Reservation with many trails, Some Boston area units do Philmont training hikes there. http://troop30.athenaverse.com/trips.html http://www.troop18milfordma.org/?p=118 Camp Wanocksett or Mt Monadnock State Park in Dublin,NH. Many trails to ascend Mt. Monadnock and then descend to either camp. https://www.nhstateparks.org/uploads/pdf/Monadnock-State-Park_Hiking-Map.pdf Treasure Valley Scout Reservation in Rutland,MA. Hike the Mid State trail in from either north or south. I prefer north start at US Army Corp of Engineers Barre Dam. http://www.midstatetrail.org/bfd.html Griswold Scout Reservation (Camp Bell), Gilmanton Iron Works,NH http://belknaprangetrails.org/mt-anna/ http://troop54.froimson.net/Resources/Camping/GSR_Trail_Map.pdf In RI, Yagoog http://www.mdc.net/~dbrier/yawgoog/trails/ In Maine, Camden Hills State Park and Acadia National Park. sectionhiker.com is a great resource for AT and Long Trail in New England. Hope this helps

More money (services, phone upgrades), less maintenance costs with cells for service providers. No surprise, service providers want out of land line business. ATT wants to drop landlines. Here is a story about Illinois. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-att-landline-phone-service-0507-biz-20170503-story.html I have not seen a public phone in years.

Cell phone non-essential? Who still has a land line?

@@PirateLou, welcome to scouter.com.

Today this might be called free-range scouting but more likely abuse. http://www.fredericksburg.com/opinion/columns/column-long-ago-trip-shows-how-parenting-style-has-changed/article_05f46b5d-2b3a-5430-83f8-f7ee139c1dfc.html “Where’s Frank,†by Lloyd Philip Johnson (available on Amazon) documents the journey of 18 Boy Scouts who climbed aboard a fruit truck in Yakima, Wash., in 1946 and took a 10,000- mile journey around the United States. Their scoutmaster, Curtiss Gilbert, had dreamed about starting a Scout troop that would produce self-reliant, competent men, and in 1921, he began leading Troop 9 in Yakima, a position he would keep for 26 years, until his death. After years of leading his boys on adventures such as mountain climbing and winter camping expeditions in the Cascade Mountains, and long trips to California and Boy Scout Jamborees, Gilbert had earned the trust of parents. When he proposed the trip around the entire country, the parents were on board and the kids were excited. Gilbert was an apple grower, so a fruit truck “troop carrier†was a natural solution to question of how to transport 18 kids and three adults. With its 20-foot bed fitted with benches for riding, shelves behind the cab for storage, slatted sides, and a canvas cover, the 1941 Ford was soon ready to go. It would never pass muster today for safety, nor would most kids be able to tolerate the jostling, the hard seats, and exposure to the elements. But times were different then. “Freedom meant adventure, admittedly with risks,†Johnson writes. Traveling east through the northern tier states, the Scouts camped where they could, ate what was available, and carefully cleaned up after themselves. When they stopped in a town (or city), Gilbert would let them roam on their own, with orders to be back at the truck on time—or else. “He trusted us,†Johnson writes, “to behave and use our heads and not get lost.†Most of the time, that worked. Gilbert had picked a route that he felt would help the Scouts appreciate their country. Glacier National Park, Mount Rushmore, Chicago, Niagara Falls and Boston soon were ticked off the list. With the normal amount of shenanigans, all was going well. Then, in Hartford, Conn., 14-year-old Frank failed to make it back to the truck by the designated departure time. Gilbert decided “it would be a good lesson to Frank to have to catch up with us in New York the best way he could.†So he drove off. A little while later, young Brodersen found himself all alone in Connecticut with two cents in his pocket. To the Scouts, leaving Frank was just the natural consequence of his violating the rules. To Frank, though, it was scary. So what did he do? .... Anyway this is my next reading adventure. https://www.amazon.com/Wheres-Frank-Intrepid-Leader-Scouts-ebook/dp/B01COCY0ZW

The camp item that is forgotten more and used less - bar of soap.

@@ScoutmasterDanny, welcome to scouter.com. Our troop shied away from Google groups as parents were concerned about privacy,. Announcements at closing work best for us, but different strokes for different folks. Your second video regarding Scout accounts is frequently discussed/argued here.

Fifty years ago Scouts sat around whittling. Today, they sit around teching.

@@dreamwalkn , welcome to scouter.com . Don't be afraid to speak your mind.

How does the BSA get into those "circumstances"? Simply put by this layman, I want to reduce the possibility of the family suing the BSA and , if the evidence warrants, increase the possibility of the scout and the BSA together prosecute/sue the alleged abuser. Sorry for the clumsy language, hopefully you will get my meaning.

Is an employer/organization always liable for the criminal actions of its employees/volunteers?

Successful outshines the stupid. Good luck against coaches of winning school teams whose students score scholarships.

I don't know what new policies came from the National Meeting but I hope there will be more-effective and parent-reassuring Youth Protection policies. Safety is job one. Hardly a week goes by when there is not a new story about a recent abuse and always the BSA is pitted against the victim. Oh there are still stories about abuse that occurred 10, 20 or more years ago. 1. Stop withholding information. No lame excuses. Turn over all information to law enforcement, let them investigate. 2. Get on the side of the child in legal proceeding. Some school districts have succeeded in doing this in cases of teacher abuse of students. 3. Publicly lobby FOR child safety and protection at both the state and National level. (See NY article below). The Atlantic Journal published this after the National Meeting. It will only be freely available for a short time. http://www.myajc.com/news/local/sex-abuse-cases-boy-scouts-forgo-transparency/T8jGnO4FWXfvFhsf6sA2TJ/ In sex abuse cases, Boy Scouts forgo transparency “One thing we’ve found, when we look at all the Boy Scouts cases, is a constant fight against releasing any of the documents,†said Emma Hetherington, director of the University of Georgia Law School’s Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic, founded to assist the survivors of child sexual abuse. They’ve even fought some of the files that have been released publicly from being used in court cases. In doing so, Hetherington said, the Scouts have maintained their interest is in protecting the victims. Disclosure would only discourage people from reporting other abuse because the Scouts could not guarantee confidentiality. “No one is asking them to release the names of the victims,†Hetherington said. “They’re protecting themselves, not the children.†“If you really want to protect more boys, you release the names of the offenders,†she said. “It’s about holding them accountable and holding the Scouts accountable. This is an organization that led the public to believe their child would be in one of the safest places they could be if they were in Boy Scouts.†... Defense lawyer Natalie Woodward, who represents Robb Lawson along with Dunwoody attorney Esther Panitch in the case against Fleming Weaver, said she thinks the Boy Scouts have made some calculations that, while morally questionable, may be strategically wise. “The Boy Scouts have taken the same tactic in all of these cases designed to make it as long and painful a process as possible,†Woodward said. “And if you don’t have the file, you don’t have a case.†From a public relations standpoint, they appear to have concluded transparency would hurt them more with the public than obstruction, Panitch said. “They may be doing the smart thing, but it’s not the right thing,†she said. Smart? Not as far as recruiting goes. Switch to New York over the weekend. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/lovett-boy-scouts-fighting-n-y-s-child-victims-act-article-1.3203068 Abuse survivors rip Boy Scouts for hiring ex-state senator to lobby against Child Victims Act ALBANY — The Boy Scouts of America has hired a former state senator to lobby against legislation that would make it easier for child sex abuse victims to seek justice as adults. The Boy Scouts this year are paying Dentons US $12,500 a month to lobby on three bills, including against the Child Victims Act. Former Sen. Craig Johnson, a Long Island Democrat, is a principal for Dentons’ public policy and regulatory practice and one of two people from the firm registered since February to represent the Boy Scouts in Albany, according to filings with the state ethics commission. In an email, a spokesman for the organization confirmed Johnson was hired to work “on a variety of legislative matters in New York that impact youth-serving organizations†— including the Child Victims Act. The spokesman did not respond to a followup email asking why the scouts are fighting the legislation. The organization is said to oppose for financial reasons the push to create a one-year window to revive old sex abuse cases that can’t be pursued under current law. Online records dating back to 2011 show that it is the first time the Boy Scouts have had a lobbyist registered in Albany to work on the issue. The group has had lobbyists for other issues in the past while the Catholic Church has led the charge against the Child Victims Act. ... “An institution like the Boy Scouts should be more concerned with protecting young children from sexual abuse than protecting their interests by fighting legislation that protects kids and exposes sexual predators,†Robb said in an email. “After all, they call themselves a 'values-based youth development organization,’ one would hope they value the safety of kids, truth and justice!†Added Michael Polenberg, of Safe Horizon: “So often, an abuser may first pretend to assume a caring or mentorship role in a child's life in order to build trust. Safe Horizon believes that exposing those who sexually abuse children allows parents and organizations to best protect the children who are entrusted into their care — it's deeply disappointing that the Boy Scouts think otherwise." We could have a great inclusive, adventure program but if the BSA is not transparent about abuses and not proactive in legal protection of children, our membership will continue to decline. My $0.02

"girls, cars, and jobs" Not seeing that. What I see is College, College, College. Many weekends of test preparation and taking (usually multiple times). Nearly all are tutored for tests (AP's, SAT's, ACT), even the BSA had a discount from one company. Does it help? From our experience - YES! Summer pre-college weeks for high school students! I strongly encourage my scouts to explore those opportunities. Usually we have two or more scouts "dual enrolled" in high school and a local community college. Those seeking to graduate from both, need to fulfill the requirements of both and so become no-show scouts. Fall college visits, spring college visits. Saving for college once meant getting a job but more it is about cutting expenses not directly contributing to college - goodbye $$$ treks. But surely sports? IMO, if colleges did not offer sports scholarships, high school football would be gone as school districts could not justify the expense. Look at the high commitment programs - sports, band, FIRST robotics, they all have a big scholarship carrot in common. Should the BSA promote and extend their scholarship offerings? Should BSA restore the value of Eagle in college admission? My $0.02