RememberSchiff

The Smithsonian maintains an accessible archive of audio and video interviews of interesting people.for their Center of Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Audio portions are often played on NPR, I think the segment is "In Their Own Words." In every community — in families, neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools — there are people who have knowledge and skills to share — ways of knowing and doing that often come from years of experience and have been preserved and passed down across generations. As active participants in community life, these bearers of tradition are primary sources of culture and history. We hope that the Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide inspires you to turn to members of your own family and community as key sources of history, culture, and tradition. \http://www.folklife.si.edu/the-smithsonian-folklife-and-oral-history-interviewing-guide/smithsonian Does the Scouting Museum do something similar but focused on how scouting benefited their life? If so, someone should interview Mr. Rocky Gannon. http://www.shorenewstoday.com/upper_township/rocky-gannon-credits-boy-scouts-for-starting-remarkable-journey/article_40838c3e-8022-11e6-b7c0-735df65fcfa3.html

That link is an interesting read of varying opinions, learned and confused. Restore some balance... just one oath, the Scout oath please.

Two signatures on a check is a troop policy, not the bank's. We can go online and see the signatures on the scanned check if there are any doubts and respond accordingly. Our Council still accepts checks for all scout activities.

Hmmm, sounds like an insider job.

As I recall separate ECOH were the exception; they were a schedule accommodation made for a scout soon leaving for the service or college. Back in the day, my ECOH was part of a regular troop meeting COH. Fellow scouts were presented their rank awards ahead of me, the finale-Eagle. Now doesn't that make sense! It was a tight-run ceremony (90 minutes on a school night) much to relief of all present, including me. IMO, when separate ECOH became the rule rather than the exception, troops lost control and understandably so. Good luck to the BSA or Councils in trying to undo the present entitlement of 3-4 hour Eagle coronations.

The "answers" going around my District vary considerably, somewhat like asking what is the best ice cream. Here's a sampling from a side session at RT: Everything, it's just like a Blue & Gold The refreshments ...and cups and... Just the Eagle kit. Well certainly the Eagle kit but also the Eagle gift. No, the parents and scout decide what they want and pay for the whole thing themselves. Depends if there is any money in the Troop account. (There's always one wiseguy.) Also heard this question - Can a scout use his Scout account (yes still in use) to pay for his ECOH? Somewhat a pointless discussion, as people will continue to do whatever they want, particularly if their son is the Eagle having a COH.

Our former state AG once remarked "Technically it is not illegal to be an illegal in Massachusetts", meaning if the (immigration) law was not enforced by her office or the Feds well to quote another politician "What difference does it make?" Medical marijuana is legal under Michigan law. In 2009, President Obama's sent a directive to federal prosecutors not to prosecute people (Controlled Substance Act) who distribute marijuana for medical purposes. In 2013, the DOJ restated that enforcement position. So if you can find a federal prosecutor to bring this case and confirm the illegality, maybe you should be the Director of the FBI. Many interesting civics questions here for scouts. My $0.02,

Googling, and I find there have been a number nighttime break-ins. daytime robberies and disturbances, and even a shootout (2011), at legal marijuana dispensaries in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area so I can understand those concerns. The irony may be that the owner is looking for a safer location - a dead end street with the Boy Scouts as neighbors.

Maybe make it a weekend and do requirement 9c Perform a conservation project approved by the landowner or land managing agency

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2016/09/boy_scouts_troop_leaders_prote.html A proposed medical marijuana facility would host an 8,467-square-foot medical marijuana grow operation. The building would be about 500 feet from the Boy Scouts of America office, also on Bestech Drive in Ann Arbor, MI. (This is the Ann Arbor Service Center of the Southern Shores Field Service Council of the Michigan Crossroads Council) Boy Scout Troop Leader Raymond Davis described the Scouts office building as an important facility, with a purpose similar to that of a church or school. He is concerned about any possible odor or crime related to the grow operation. Pittsfield Township code states that no medical marijuana facility or medical marijuana grow operation shall be located or operated within 500 feet of a residence or school. I dunno, maybe this will make it easier to get adults to make trips and take training at the Service Center?

Being thrifty refers the wise use of your money and resources. One can be very thrifty by having others incur all the expenses and do all the work.

WOODGATE, N.Y. A Boy Scouts camp operated for nearly 100 years that closed last year is auctioning off its inventory on Saturday, Sept. 17. Camp Russell, one of the oldest Boy Scouts camps in the country, ended operations at the camp in 2015 after an emotional goodbye from campers, citing financial losses for the closing. The auction will begin at 10 a.m. at 12527 State Rt. 28, Woodgate. Organizers of the event say it will be a good time with food and big savings, and proceeds will benefit the Boy Scouts of America. Some of the items being auctioned include: tents, cots, rowboats, canoes, sailboats, electric tools and more. Camp Russell, located on White Lake, was one of three local Boy Scouts camps operated by the former American Revolutionary Trail Council, now called the Leatherstocking Council after merging with the former Otschodela Council. The land where the camp sits was donated by local businessman Samuel T. Russell in 1918. Another camp, Cedarlands, also is being sold, while the third, Camp Kingsley, remains open. The newly formed Council’s summer camp for Boy Scouts will be held at Henderson Camp just outside of Oneonta in Maryland. For more information about the auction and photos of some items being auctioned, visit the AuctionZip page created for the event. http://www.wktv.com/news/local/Camp_Russell_auction_to_benefit_local_Boy_Scouts.html

Some of our older scouts have enrolled at universty "pre-college" weeks during their soph-junior or junior-senior summer. Sort of a "Trail to College" program - a sampling of a college-level course, lectures, labwork, essay writing, test taking, campus life... When they return home, whether they are interested in that university or not, they are more focused on improving their acceptance chances (GPA's, SAT scores, recommendations) at their target colleges. .

I agree. Backpack 4 miles with a 1000ft elevation gain and 9b, as stated, has been completed.

If true, I am stunned. Make some calls and send some e-mails to District about said troop. EagleDad excels at giving advice in this area. I fear, you are seeing a distorted, broken Scouting program.

Deja vu all over again! Council did not report the 2014 abuse incident to police. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/investigations/2016/09/03/boy-scout-leaders-never-reported-abuse/84747944/ The Boy Scouts of America Hudson Valley Council knew that two Dutchess County Boy Scouts may have been abused by a leader, but didn’t tell police. And, they weren’t legally required to. (New York) ... Volunteers are mandated by the Boy Scouts of America to report claims of sexual abuse “immediately†to local authorities, according to the organization's website. But, two months before one Dutchess County scout told his mother that he had been abused on a camping trip in August 2014 by an assistant scoutmaster, Salt Point's Michael Kelsey, he confided in a different scoutmaster during a hiking trip in October 2014, according to testimony made during Kelsey's trial this past May. Though the Boy Scouts of America took action against Kelsey, removing him from the organization, it did not alert police. According to state police Senior Investigator Timothy Peets: "The Boy Scout organization never reported anything until after they were confronted by the parents of the victims." A representative from the national organization declined to answer why it didn't follow its own policy. David Horton, the CEO of the organization's Hudson Valley Council, did not respond to attempts to seek comment via phone or email. After the boy's mother contacted police, Kelsey was arrested, tried and convicted on five charges related to sexual abuse of two scouts. His sentencing is scheduled for October. More details with stonewalling and double-talk in the link above. How could this happen again? P.S. According to the Hudson Valley Council website David Horton is still the Scout Executive.

Ok, share then. I want to query the incident reporting database for lightning injuries and whitewater rafting injuries at BSA activities in the Northeast in say the last 5 years. How do I do that?

Or tell the story of 23 scouts injured at a June, 2013 NYLT course at Camp Bell (NH). Camp site top of hill, scouts clustered under a tarp with aluminum poles,between tall white pines during lightning storm. http://www.wmur.com/news/nh-news/several-reported-hit-by-lightning-at-boy-scout-camp/20700536

About 20 units nationwide. Is it a mutation of Merit Badge universities? or Is it our attempt for government and business STEM $$ grants (Girl Scouts jumped on this opportunity)? or Is it the future of scouting with techcraft replacing scoutcraft, no membership restrictions, no Class-A uniforms, no advancement, and back in public schools? or Is it a boondoogle? https://stemscouts.org/ In my unit, interest in STEM meritbadges is nil. IMHO, they are worn out from the schoolwork in the Eagle required merit badges.

Back in the day...scout skills were taught and learned in a logical sequence. A scout passed 2nd class cooking and earned 2nd class rank then and only then could he work on the more challenging 1st class cooking. And before starting Cooking MB, he had to be First Class scout. Common sense. Cooking MB requirements and revisions from 50's to 60's. Keep It Simple Scout. http://www.boyscoutimages.com/item/Cookin-F/Cooking-1961-68

Year round public schooling here is growing but only for those students - who have IEP's which require it. - who are below grade achievement levels as determined by assessment tests. Both take a week break here or there for camp or family vacation. Year round work for adults is a bigger issue. Less vacation time and less certainty in scheduling it.

High school graduation requirements are less daunting.

Surbaugh makes the point that there was confusion who the IT customers were. I think that confusion still remains in this roadmap. Where are we going with this? - Mobile devices? seems only iOS. Is National mandating internet access at camps and other venues and providing smartphones to staff? - Easier? Why haven't we been asked what would make life easier. Where are the requirements docs FROM different users? Are we trading too much paperwork or even more computerwork? Shades of Troopmaster! Seems everyone National, Council, Advancement Chairman, SM, PL, scout, and his parents are tracking a scout's advancement. Why? - Priorities? - Budget? How about spending less money and downsizing IT as an upfront goal? The larger problem are existing BSA business rules and policies. - Centralized control of data and resources? Do we have to go through National to register for council camp? - Multiple position/unit registrations for a single member should go bye-bye. A volunteer registers just once with BSA. - Rechartering should be streamlined. - What is Council role down this new road? ("Ability to update the most recent approved merit badge counselor list" - now that was funny) - What information do we need to track? Seems National want to track ALL information. Do I/we need service hours or advancement tracked nationally? - Who to contact? Problem tracking visible to all users? Follow-through. Ever report a software problem to National? How did that go? Actually this should be the first problem to fix. - Open BSA websites to search engines? Software will not be simple and intuitive unless the underlying business rules are! Identify customers, gather their needs, CHANGE the BSA business rules accordingly, prioritize, develop transition plans including costs (all costs - software, development, support, training, hardware), what is budget, test, fix, phased rollout, SUPPORT. My $0.01 for rambling.

http://itroadmap.scouting.org/videos/

Good point. I don't know if the well(s) are still active. Another revenue source, a timber harvest, was done just before the oil well drilling. Some camps here are installing solar farms. Camp-shares like farm-shares may be another possibility. As I understand, there has been new facilities added in the last ten years - showers, dining hall, shooting ranges. Jackson County is strongly interested in acquiring the camp as a county park. So Council might keep the previously raised camp endowment money and the oil rights.