RememberSchiff

Great idea! Plenty of Youtube animation tutorials. Free animation software (Scratch, Blender, Pencil, various simple Stick people apps ...) for various hardware platforms is easy to find. Cinema 4D Rev14 was freely available awhile ago. Autodesk Maya was free to FIRST students and mentors though it is a bear to install

Sorry to hear that your scouts' earnest and expert effort was ignored. I have scouts that started from Scratch (2D) and are now using Maya or Cinema 4D. I doubt they will bother with this MB.

Boy's Life recently posted a story with video links. http://boyslife.org/merit-badges/animation-merit-badge/ IMO, after a long delay I expected more than Easy here. This seems ready to join Fingerprinting for merit badge Saturday or camp. My $0.02

Now Atlanta seems to be booked, ditto Vegas and Disney. Could we have this, I dunno, outdoors/ Say at one of those camps for sale. Mebbe call it a woods meeting? Good Brainstorming.

Are you suggesting that we the scouters should review their strategic plan and grade it? Met Goal Partially Met Goal Failed to make progress towards goal Should not have been a goal ??

"Coraopolis, PA -- The 171st Air Refueling Wing is cancelling its annual Scouting Skills weekend this year as a result of an increase of the base's security. A directive to increase the force protection condition was issued to all Department of Defense installations in the continental United States (CONUS) last week by the U.S. Northern Command Center (USNORTHCOM). The 171st Air Refueling Wing intends to continue hosting the annual Scouting Skills event next year." http://www.171arwscoutingday.com/site/default.aspx?PageID=1 This has happened in the past to scout activities at a base when our military was placed on alert, but it just seems new and different now.

Not a bad idea. Maybe there should be an incentive for more best answers like popcorn sales. I dunno, contribute 10 best answers and win some handy electronic device to take into the woods. Contribute 100 best answers and get a Xbox, BSA edition.

Thanks for the link.

Does anyone have a working link to the original plan? All I could find was last year's (2014) progress report. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/stragegicplan/pdf/Strategic_Plan_Progress_Report.pdf Hopefully, the upcoming Annual Meeting will update and report this. IMO, some improvements since the last Strategic Plan http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/6182-was-2006-2010-strategic-plan-a-failure/

Two is the Philmont minimum and four is the Philmont maximum. A council can up the minimum to 3 (or 4) as ours did when faced with adults failing their medical check upon arrival. IMO, it would be better that so-called 'pinnacle experiences" in scouting required no adults. We train our scouts that they are ready to plan and complete a Philmont trek with a patrol of just scouts, ditto Eagle project,...instead the BSA is going in the opposite direction.

Sort of. I encountered this when my son was the only one to sign-up for an out-of-state scout activity. He wanted to go and so we were a Troop of 2 and the question arose did I need a tour permit. No. A tour permit is not required for a parent solely acting as a parent. Current YP was required and I had health forms just in case.

Right guy or not? I find it interesting that both Deputy Scout Exec and Chief Operating Officer and the Assistant Scout Exec were stepped over. http://scoutingnewsroom.org/about-the-bsa/national-leadership/assistant-chief-scout-executive-council-operations/ - Gary Butler http://scoutingnewsroom.org/about-the-bsa/national-leadership/assistant-chief-scout-executive-development/ - Brad Farmer In this discussion, we could use an updated list of the job responsibilities of the Chief Scout Executive. My understanding is the CSE responsibilities are closer to a Chief yeoman than a ship captain (Executive Board). Another $0.02

“With inmates from the Barnstable County Correctional Facility in Bourne lending a hand, the Cape & Islands Council of Boy Scouts of America is preparing paperwork it now hopes will land it in the Guinness Book of World Records.†And there you have it, results from the Council’s annual Camporee, held this year at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds and attracting scouts from ages six to 20. Scores of them showed up from every town on the Cape and Islands: Cub and Boy Scouts (males) as well as Sea Scouts and Explorers (both genders). The current Guinness record, set two years ago by the BSA’s Boston Minuteman Council, was 320 feet. Like the one at the fairgrounds, it was an outdoor track. Barnstable BSA’s new record, now heading for consideration at Guinness headquarters: 676 feet, 11¾ inches. “So more than twice as long, a legitimate shattering,†observed county Sheriff Jim Cummings, whose office dispatched the crew of inmate track builders. “They broke it like Humpty Dumpty.†A standard track for most pinewood derbies, which are usually conducted indoors, is a mere 32 feet. The Cape & Islands record-setter travelled more than 20 times further than that! “Our thanks to the Sheriff Office for its support!†writes Mike Riley, chief executive of the Cape & Island Council. “We could not have done it without you.†Story and construction photos http://www.capecod.com/cape-wide-news/inmates-help-boy-scouts-break-world-record/

If you can find another troop(s) clearly using the patrol method. Observe their meetings, campouts, as much as you can.

De facto local option. Seems more are doing this without threat of charter or individual memberships being revoked.

Times change. Maybe the BSA program will change towards STEM as more of our members have a background, confidence, and interest in STEM. At a recent troop meeting (plan was knife and ax), about 1/3 remembered to bring their knife but they all remembered their smartphone. Calling Bill Nye? My 1 bitcoin,

Half of my last post is missing...try again Back to OP (sorry skeptic for sidetrack), how old is he? Found this background (forget the news media, rely on scout banquet pamphlets ) http://birdvilletroop186.org/history/eagles/pdf/2009-03-07%20Eagle%20Banquet%20Program.pdf "Mike Surbaugh, became Scout Executive of the Greater Pittsburgh Council, Boy Scouts of America, on September 1, 2007, succeeding Robert A. “Alf†Tuggle, who was promoted to Southern Region Director. Mike is an Eagle Scout from Troop 360, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of West Virginia’s Salem College. He holds a degree in non-profit administration. Mike served on several summer camp staffs for 16 years, serving in Scoutcraft, as Aquatics Director, and as Camp Director. His love of the outdoors was nurtured while serving on the Camp Tionesta and Camp Anawanna staffs A career Scouter, Mike began his professional career as a district executive in Jacksonville, Florida, and served Boy Scout Councils in Syracuse, New York, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in various roles. Prior to joining the Greater Pittsburgh Council, Mike served as Scout Executive for the Sioux Council in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the Bay Lakes Council in Appleton, Wisconsin, a council that serves 40,000 youths from 200 communities in 22 counties in Northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. While serving the Bay Lakes Council, in October of 2005, Mr. Surbaugh personally delivered about $30,000 in equipment and tools donated by local Wisconsin communities to the Pine Burr Area Council’s Camp Tiak in Wiggins, Mississippi, a camp ravaged by a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina. He found the camp in ruins, with its remnants “haphazardly scattered like a child’s game of pick-up sticksâ€, in his words. Then, in December, he led a team of about 114 volunteers from the Bay Lakes Council who, armed with hammers, saws, and a bulldozer, helped clean up and rebuild the camp. Their visit coincided with a winter camp for the Pine Burr Area Council’s younger Scouts and leadership training for its older Scouts, and some of the Bay Lakes Council’s older Scouts who serve as summer camp merit badge counselors helped instruct Mississippi Scouts in pioneering, camping, and first aid during their stay. Along with the Wisconsin volunteers, nearly 160 local Scouts attended the winter camp, which officials had predicted would never happen. It was the first large activity held at Camp Tiak since Katrina. Now serving as Scout Executive of the Greater Pittsburgh Council, his is the highest professional position in the council, which serves more than 49,500 youths and involves 8,000 adult volunteers in Allegheny, Beaver, Washington and Greene counties, and portions of Westmoreland and Fayette counties. …"

In '69 when I trekked as a scout at Philmont, most patrols had just ONE adult and most scouts appeared in the15-16 yr old range. Though at least one adult (no 2-deep then) was required, we would have been fine without him . Oh he was very competent and an Eagle, but we were prepared. Today THREE adults required and scouts appear to be a year or two younger. Adventure lost. Unless older scouts are hanging around to complete Eagle, they are gone at high school. Older members lost. My item #1 local option, speaking for our unit, goodbye DRP and we would likely double our new young scouts. Keeping them is where item #2 helps. Another $0.02

no adults on patrol outings. On a similar line of thought, wouldn't it be great if a scout-led patrol could go to Philmont, summer camp, or even a district camporee without adults attached at the hip belt.

http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/7745-introducing-your-new-chief-scout/ <- Wayne Brock More was known about Brock from his WBtv Youtube videos. From that thread my comments May 2012 "In an interview with The Chronicle, Mr. Brock said he would focus on increasing the groups membership in the short time he has. What that does is put pressure on me to do it faster and not waste any time, he said. http://philanthropy....O-Makes/131942/ I hope so, here's some advice for your two year term; no extension if membership does not increase. 1. local CO option on "eligibility" for membership and uniform. 2. bring back the scout adventure - we educate them and trust them. Managed risk, no adult patrol outings, and wheelbarrows allowed. Add Eagle project option - solo patrol trek. My $0.02" Well membership did NOT increase but Wayne got a one year extension. Some progress on item 1. Backwards on item 2. Never heard of his replacement, but I offer the same advice. My $0.02

http://www.inquiry.net/patrol/ Kudu you are missed.

Some of our scouts are told not to wear shorts in winter. Some of our adults are told they are old enough to wear long pants.

Ah WBers...only a mother could love. Still if you don't like drinking your coffee alone, I guess they serve a purpose. We scouters are not passive; we are here to help scouts learn by succeeding themselves. Teach them the skills and step back and monitor safety. If they fail after that (allow them to fail if safety permits), either they learn from their mistakes or some more teaching by you or another is needed. Teaching and practice, repeat. Well done.

Hopefully the idea that each lodge bring firewood will be dropped or lodges themselves will just say NO. IMO using only local firewood needs to be added to LNT if it is not already! http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-2390_18298_45067---,00.html "Buy firewood when you reach your destination and burn it all on site" Sorry to say but kiln wood can be infested, depending on process and location/storage after. My $0.02

Not me, I said Boy & Girls, 4-H, and YMCA. "Might be a reason their youth memberships are larger than BSA and continue to grow."