RememberSchiff

Too often Fingerprinting Merit Badge gets little respect but consider this story. In 1971, Ed R. German had completed his studies at MacArthur High School in just three years, when a crime was committed where his father worked. An investigating FBI agent had a conversation with Mr. Wilmer German who inquired how someone like his son might get hired with the agency. “The agent told him, 'We're always looking for fingerprint clerks. They have to be 16 years old, have a high school diploma, pass a spelling test and a background check,' †Ed German said. “My dad told him, 'Send my son an application because he took the Fingerprinting Merit Badge in Boy Scouts. He might like that.'†Young Ed German received a job offer to work for the FBI and flew went out to Washington, D.C. by himself, with the caveat that he would have to repay the airfare to the FBI if he didn't last through his first year of employment. “In June of 1971, I went to work for the FBI as a GS-2 fingerprint clerk, making $82 a week after taxes,†said German, now 63, a congenial, down-to-earth man who likes to compare himself to Forest Gump, the movie character who stumbled into numerous historical adventures. “My parents drove me to the airport. I cried myself to sleep in the hotel the first night. I thought: What have I got myself into?†This was beyond the wildest dreams for a boy who had not imagined himself working in law enforcement, let alone joining the most storied agency in the nation, then still under the directorship of its legendary founder, J. Edgar Hoover. Young Ed had excelled in math and science, sound foundations for his career, but his ambition at the time was more in the line of Christian ministry. From his start as one of 8,000 employees sorting through fingerprint cards in the massive FBI headquarters, German went on to distinguish himself as a groundbreaking forensic scientist. He is credited with creating new evidentiary techniques and helping to establish crime labs, including the Illinois State Police lab, the first to receive national accreditation. He has served as chief of intelligence for U.S. Army law enforcement worldwide, worked on high-profile serial murder cases, including the Chicago area Tylenol and California Nightstalker cases, and served as senior forensic scientist for the Army in Baghdad during the Iraq War. He has testified in more than 100 cases, including a five-day trial in which the validity of the science of fingerprint identification was being challenged. The other experts were the senior fingerprint experts for the FBI and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He cleared a Scottish detective of a perjury charge after similar fingerprints to hers were found at a murder scene. ...more here http://herald-review.com/news/local/sheriff-s-office-hires-world-class-fingerprint-expert/article_38980a8c-86ab-554b-b702-56e6ab7b2e7f.html

Update: Camp Anderson to stay open under new ownership! http://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/camp-anderson-to-stay-open/637919578 The Camp Anderson Corporation bought the site for $215,000 Friday from the Laurel Highlands Council of the Boy Scouts of America allowing for the campground to remain around for thousands of children and people in the community. The camp's board of trustees has raised about $112,000 and will spend the next months and years fundraising to reach their original $500,000 goal. The board members hope to use that money to keep the camp going and make some improvements. Hurray!

So much for "alleged" Russian hacking of American websites. Still I might PILEMASTER instead of Troopmaster.

Like Jeff Bridges said at the end Hell or High Water, "..the things we do for our kids, huh."

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- An iron-stomached Boy Scout leader in Texas downed 23 ghost peppers in a bid to raise scholarship money for the troop. Troop 137, based in Fredericksburg, posted a video that opened with the troop's scoutmaster, Gayne Young, explaining that Assistant Scoutmaster Johnny was about to eat 23 ghost peppers. Young says Johnny's attempt took place 20 hours earlier and the man was in bed with "really, really bad stomach pains" after being "sick at both ends." "Do not try this at home," the scoutmaster says. More here http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/01/04/Boy-Scout-leader-downs-23-ghost-peppers-to-raise-funds-for-troop/6101483563094/ Youtube video

Given recent events, I wonder if Putin will extend an invitation to Tillerson for "some of his scouts" to visit the Kremlin? Say akin to Nixon's ping-pong diplomacy with China back when. Another $0.02

It will probably take a famous Eagle Scout to come out as transgender to convince some people. Others will see local examples.

Googling, I found the Trading Post at the William Hillcourt Scout Museum sells a patch. Have not been there myself. http://www.orgsites.com/ny/greenbarbill/

Yes around Dec 25, 1941 by FDR. Pearl Harbor had been attacked weeks before; the west coast was preparing for a second wave. Our nation at war, a dark and fearful time, and yet our Commander-in-Chief took time to recognize and thank the Boy Scouts for their valued service to the Nation.

“Once again I send sincerest Christmas greetings to the Boy Scouts of America; bespeaking also the appreciation of the nation for the contribution which Scouts and scouting make to our national strength and morale by helping to keep alive the manly virtues of truthfulness, loyalty, courage and helpfulness. Now, as always, the nation needs to keep themselves physically fit, mentally alert and morally straight.†When? Whom?

Here is the opposite. The BSA officially will not, yet "Not one of the kids said, 'You don’t belong here,’†Maldonado (Joe's Mom) said of the Scouts in the pack." IMO, never turn away a kid who wants to be scout and NEVER prevent a unit from welcoming that kid. My $0.02

Patrol Method is also about teamwork - working together more can be learned, accomplished, and enjoyed. IMO the "working together", i.e. 80-100% attendance in patrol activities , is a metric for JTE. Using the National Honor Patrol Award as a start, say 2 patrol meetings a month with 100% attendance is Silver. Maybe Bronze would be 2 patrol meetings a month with at least 3 scouts. Ditto with other patrol activities. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/boyscouts/pdf/512-021_WB.pdf Just $0.01 as there was something in my eggnog.

Good points. I would clarify that the term "independent" means patrol-planned. This would solve program planning for older scouts/Venture patrols as they would already be doing it themselves. Hmmm, what if, annual patrol planning took root? Troop planning would focus on membership, fundraising, summer camp, adult leader training,.. Agree with qwazse regarding Bronze-Gold-Silver order. Another $0.02

We have not used to JTE for years. Of it's faults, IMO the most glaring was the SPL signature is not required as scouts are out of the loop. No doubt TAHAWK could do this, but to his point, a group of SPL's from scout-run troops should draft the replacement metrics. My $0.02

They sort of work like Scout Bucks, you accumulate them here but you can't spend them outside of this forum.

Meanwhile scoutingmagazine.org reports the renewal the National Park Service/BSA agreement. http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2016/12/21/bsa-renews-alliance-national-park-service/ To summarize, same old same old - the NPS will continue to do with the BSA what it does with everyone else and the BSA will advertise the agreement. That said, IMO a deeper examination of the resources and needs of both the NPS and BSA should be done. - The NPS "Scout Ranger Resource Stewardship" is geared towards grade school youth; they need not be scouts. And that seems fine for that age group. Here the BSA should approach NPS, "we have this Hornaday Award and this merit badge and... that might be just the thing to incorporate with your NPS Youth Conservation Corps for teens. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/youthprograms/ycc.htm - Why not allow NPS Rangers to sign-off on related environmental/citizenship merit badges? They have had federal background checks. Save them from the becoming a MBC song and dance. The BSA should do this with other professions - medical, teachers, Fire/EMT, police that have the knowledge and existing background checks in place. KISS and get the community more involved in Scouting. - Entrance fees. Scouts working with NPS, should get the Educational Fee Waiver instead of the Non-Commercial Group Fee. - Realize NPS internships are mostly for undergrad and grad students. Hopefully the incoming Secretary of Interior, an Eagle Scout, will help step up the NPS/BSA relationship. Another $0.02,

TripAdvisor ranks the National Scout Museum #2 of 31 things to do in Irving https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g56032-d264982-Reviews-National_Scouting_Museum-Irving_Texas.html

One cannot rate his own posts,hence no up/down arrows appear as you view your own post.

I dunno, I am not sure there is enough room for half of the IT consultants.

I can appreciate there are greater concerns than this topic. I had similar concerns about Nixon in '72.

As OP, my intent was not to find faults of our Presidents, but to discuss our relationship possibilities (Spock again?) with the incoming Trump Administration. With the number of Eagle Scouts in his potential Cabinet, I am hopeful for positive change.

The method of invitation may need some reconsideration. Consider Setting the Record Straight Presidential Visits to the BSA National Jamboree "Of the 18 National Jamborees that have occurred (not counting the cancelled 1935 National Jamboree and combining both 1973 locations into one event), a sitting President of the United States of America has only attended 7 times. That’s only about 39% of the time." Interesting information in that link. - The first National Jamboree was to occur in 1935 but was canceled due to a polio outbreak. FDR attended the rescheduled first National Jamboree in 1937. - Before elected President, General Eisenhower attended the 1950 Jamboree as a speaker. He only attended one while President. - Nixon attended two Jamborees as VP but none as President. - The most/least Jamborees occurring during a Presidency: Eisenhower (3), Kennedy and Ford (0) - Longest consecutive streak of unattended Jamborees by a sitting President: 5 (1969-1985) - While serving as President, Obama, Carter, and Reagan never attended a Jamboree. The only sitting Cabinet member to attend, that I found, was Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Does the BSA intend to sell the Irving museum property or covert it to more office space. perhaps an IT center?

Does National wait until the National Annual meeting in May to name a new Honorary President? IMO during Scout Week in February with abundant social media attention, National should dispatch select groups of scouts with invitations to Jambo, etc. Whoever we want - the President, Cabinet members, famous Eagles, etc. invite them during Scout Week. We might even get a Scout display in the Trump Tower lobby. Another $0.02,

The times we live in. I was impressed with FBI Director James Comey politeness and professionalism during heated hearings and interviews - his "Boy Scout image*" as some media called it. Maybe that should be a new public role for Scouting - help restore civility in the US. IMO much harder than other scouting roles: helping Smokey, disaster relief, physical fitness, STEM, even leadership. I agree we need to get scouting back in schools. *To my knowledge, James Comey was not a scout.