RememberSchiff

Agreed. Thanks for the link E94. Wow, this appears written by a committee of chucklehead realtors! (further colorful adjectives and punctuation clusters removed). The Evaluation Tool is meant just for facilities and property, Staffing, program, or procedures are addressed in the longer Camp Accreditation document. Okay BUT Reading the A-F grading levels The repeated key points in the Camp Facilities Evaluation Tool states - reflects well the BSA brand - it all about appearances, curb appeal eh? - paint everything whether it needs it or not. - NO MENTION OF SAFETY until reach grade F - First Aid has equal importance to a Trading Post!!!! Get real! Cook's and Ranger quarters rated least important. I don't think so. IMO the above should emphasize these unmentioned, minor details - camp is SAFE, then detail requierments for access roads, fire safety, storm shelters, first aid, evac, I want a Life-flighthelicopter landing spot, waterfront, forest management, camp security (locks, fences, security system), disability access - drinking water and drainage - septic management. No mention of number of latrines/bathrooms/showers ... - trash handling (odd they mention rodent feces but not control) - CAMP FACILITIES are present and in good condition to PROVIDE SAFE YEAR ROUND PROGRAM SUPPORT - proper and secure storage of assets, ventilation My 2 aspirin,

Two interesting articles about the closing of two camps Camp Russell in Forestport,NY and the Cedarlands Scout site in Long Lake,NY and the upgrading of another, Camp Kingsley in Ava http://romesentinel.com/county/boys-scouts-to-sell-historic-camp-russell/QBqoaf!3TYUVIfWShcOfYn0pkKaWg/ Plans call for using about 5-10 percent of sale proceeds from Camp Russell and the Cedarlands for immediate improvements at Camp Kingsley, McEwan said. Other proceeds would be invested in an endowment fund to help with ongoing maintenance and expenses at Camp Kingsley, he added. ... Camp Kingsley would require an estimated $290,950 investment to be upgraded to a “Camp Facility Evaluation Tool” ( anyone know about this tool ) score of “A,” compared to its current “D+” score, documents said. Camp Russell had a current score of “C-” and needed a $322,275 investment for an “A,” while Cedarlands also had a “D+” score but would need a $2.29 million investment for an “A” score. http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150106/News/150109783/?Start=1 For more than 10 years, the council has been watching enrollment decline as more entertainment options emerge for youth. In the early 1960s, McEwan estimated the councils four districts had a combined enrollment of more than 20,000. Today, it is closer to 2,000. In other words, running three camps is not sustainable any more. We put a little into all three camps, but there is not a whole lot to show for anything,McEwan said. If we put everything at one camp, we do not have to have three kitchens, three shower houses, three of everything. And while many who are or were affiliated with the council agree with that, they have a different question: Why keep Kingsley northwest of Rome open, and not Russell? Orlo Burch, an Ilion resident who is a former Cub Scout Pack leader and whose son is a member of Ilion Troop 9, is one of those. Kingsley, he said, does not have access to a body of water as big as White Lake, so Scouts could miss out on opportunities such as small boat sailing they had at Russell. You can call any troop, they are all upset, Burch said. This is taking away skill development and programs that they will not (immediately) be able to do at (Camp Kingsley). They have punched every Boy Scout in the stomach.

Update Jan 8, http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/277...wn-stolen-guns Deputies said unknown suspects broke into a storage facility at the Scout reservation and took 13 Marlin .22-caliber single-shot, bolt-action competition rifles; four Weatherby 12-gauge pump shotguns; one Remington 12-gauge pump shotgun; and three Remington 20-gauge pump shotguns worth a total of $14,400. ( hmmm, must have some serious gold inlay? - RS) The burglary happened sometime between 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15 and 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17 2014. Well when Mrs. RS asks me why I'm online with gunbroker again, I'll explain I'm looking for these stolen firearms.

The firearms were not secured. No whiny-boy excuses. Camp buildings are not secure - remote and usually easy to kick in a door, break a window, or chain saw through a wall. A previous theft warning was ignored. Firearms not under our direct control should be stored in a secure vault . Add a alarm system and surveillance camera. I recommend a reinforced steel Fort Knox vault, a 19 yr kid who knows a 1000x more than I might recommend a Sentry sheet metal cabinet. Off summer camp season, our camp stores all camp rifles and shotguns at a local gun shop. Personally I follow my own advice and added a dog whose apprehension record is 1-0. My previous remark was an understatement. Another tip from someone who is good 20 years past this new 45 year old expiration date. Do not store bows with laminated limbs (archery) in outside steel storage trailers/lockers as the inside temps changes can cause the limbs to de-laminate. The bows, of course, are not strung.

One merit badge taught well at summer camp for just a week by one qualified old fart or for more weeks by many coordinated old farts is one badge more than is taught well now. I am there at camp for a week and mostly just take photos while merit badge classes are going on. I could one teach one or more badges while there and who knows maybe the college kid counselor who can do these things "1000x better than I" might learn something so as to better teach in the remaining weeks. But Noooooo... "Say Mr. RS, at the Lodge we are offering a YP class for all the adults here at camp. Want to re-certify since you aren't doing anything?" My $0.02 for the college kid to spend on can of Arizona at the camp store.

Closed "Tuesday night was the final night of activity out at Camp Strake, which used to be in an isolated patch of land near Conroe.... Johnson Development purchased the property and is planning residential and retail space on the 2,000-acre site that includes several lakes and bayous. The Boy Scouts are relocating away from the sprawl." http://www.kvue.com/story/news/state...ears/21124263/ http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/neighborhood/2014/12/30/camp-strake-closing-after-70-years/21090359/

Not long ago, around here the cost of a district event just covered event expenses, usage fee, food if any, event patch in the range of $5-15. In recent years, we are seeing district events charging $20-30/scout or more, but attendance is down (too $$) such that two or more districts commonly merge events to raise attendance in order to see a "profit", i.e., fund council. Council says that they need the money and that this has been done for years with other "events" - summer camp and high adventure treks.

I and other adults have offered to help in the past as after all we are already there, but the various program directors have rejected the idea for "safety" reasons. More likely they feared losing control to continue to do things the camp way - rubber-stamped blue cards, etc. But to answer your first question, it would have to be seamless. I would insist that I conduct my merit badge class the same way I normally do - the scout has already done the prereqs if any, read the book, no previous work accepted unless documented with a blue card and even then I will ask question, all requirements to be completed, a small and manageable class... quality of instruction over quantity of merit badges, all contrary to the current camp program. Second question, to get older college kids? 1. Shorter work week, i.e., give them (and us) back their weekend. Camp begins say Sunday afternoon/evening or even Monday morning and ends Friday afternoon. Closing campfire is Thursday night. 2. Work with colleges to set up some credited work/study 3. Better pay would help, particularly increases for returning counselors. To get adults. 1. Treat us like adults. 2. Offer part time day with no uniform requirements, just Health forms A & B. 3. Taxi/gator transport to class location. 4. On site secure storage of merit badge materials. 5. Free coffee 6. Support our decisions. If we feel the scout's work was incomplete, a partial it is. Period. My $0.02, and I like my coffee black

- If gas prices continue down, our unit may try more distant camping. - Our unit is moving towards an adult run, car camping, Eagle mill. - I am seeing an increase in provo camping and decrease in troop camping at local summer camps. Adults cannot take or will not take vacation time or will not be hassled with paperwork. - Council costs continue to rise despite mergers and camp sales. Families are beyond fatigue with fundraising.Council sent out a stern Nov donation mailing about the Council cost for a scout/year and the need to donate. Unfortunately, their mailing list was largely those who donated to FOS in March! - Our council can't fill a trek bus even if they combined all who signed up for Philmont, Summit, Sea Base, Northern Tier. Too $$$ - Need quicker turnaround of "new" merit badges. A new scout can earn FC quicker than National can introduce a new badge! We had two scouts interested in Animation merit badge which has been repeatedly delayed. They left in Sept. Announce a new merit badge and it should be in the next year's Requirements book. Don't worry about printing a merit badge book, scouts won't read them. Think online resource videos and pdf's. - scouts are interested in STEM badges - robotics, welding, - wired scouts. More and more tech on outings. A scout is more likely to carry a smartphone than a knife. . - Increasing cost of abuse settlements. Recently, a Connecticut jury issued a $7mil verdict (compensatory damages) against BSA National, - The Annual Meeting in May? After last year's meeting, Gates said that he would have allowed gay leaders as well scouts. That said, I predict 2015 will be a good year locally for scout units. Council and National not so much. My $0.02,

The Sunday Gazette-Mail has announced the West Virginian of the Year for 2014 - the Boy Scout. “A lot of Scouting’s impact on West Virginia is hard to measure in terms of dollars and cents,†Jeffrey Purdy, president of BSA’s Buckskin Council,said. http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141228/GZ01/141229485

Each Christmas, I wonder if a grunt soldier-driven truce might occur again somewhere during the year, when both sides realize they have more in common than they knew. I know hard to believe in today's world. Maybe it will be a common song, holiday, sport, or maybe just maybe on some battlefield one soldier will raise the Scout sign and not his rifle and his enemy will do the same...and for a day, peace.

A Scout salute to those who are far from their homes keeping us safe. [video=youtube;XQ-JuJZTpVE]

http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/guns-stolen-boy-scouts-18984.shtml#.VJVhjF4AKA "MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. -- Twenty-one shotguns and rifles were stolen from a McDowell County Boy Scout camp earlier this week. Detective James Manis with the county sheriff’s office said investigators are now in a race against time. “All of these are concerns; being used in a crime, being traded for dope, being traded for money, being in the wrong hands, you know? Anything like that is very serious and we take it very serious," Manis said. Perhaps nobody is taking this case as seriously as Mark Turner with Mecklenburg Boy Scouts of America, who said this is the second time their camp has been robbed. "Earlier in the year someone came on the property tore out one of the air conditioning systems and tore all the copper...and I'm sure they're just trying to turn stuff into quick cash," Turner said. Turner said the gun safe, where the stolen guns were located was not locked. But, in the future more preventative measures will be taken." Some serious stupid there. My $0.02

From wikipedia...so much fail The idea behind the pinewood derby is for the parent, usually the father, but occasionally the mother or grandparent, to spend time helping the child design, carve, paint, add weights, and tune the final car. However, it is often the case that the parent takes over the construction of the car, an aspect of the event that was lampooned in the 2005 film Down and Derby, and also in a 2009 episode of South Park. The quest for a fast car supports a cottage industry that supplies modified wheels, axles, and blocks as well as videos and instruction books. While a pinewood derby car kit costs around US$4, a set of modified wheels and axles can sell for more than ten times that amount. Each pack sets its own rules under the guidelines set forth by the BSA[10] and their particular local district. The aftermarket items are legal under some Pack rules since the parts originally came from an official Boy Scouts of America (BSA) kit. Complete cars can be purchased on eBay and elsewhere for around $100 to $200.[11] Although these cars violate the spirit of the event, if not the rules, enforcement can be difficult. Model manufacturer Revell was licensed by the BSA to produce pinewood derby kits with a release in December 2009.[12]

If we need an objective, third-party judge to run any event in scouting, let's just either remove "Trustworthy" right now or bring back real Unit Commissioner of old who policed units.

A fair Pinewood Derby? Your chances of seeing a unicorn on a hike are better,

One of our scouts interviewed a highway department supervisor as the scout overheard, not entirely incorrectly, that this supervisor tells the school superintendent when schools should close due to road conditions. And from there, the supervisor just ran with it as our scout took notes - downed tree removal, snow plowing, potholes,.. definitely not the snooze that the School Board member was.

Transgender? Didn't know about that. Jenner seems (to me) to have lost himself in his unreal reality family and I have two former scouts in a similar going nowhere situation. That old ad hit me with a brick - "...there's no guarantee...you never know." If Peter Pan wants to join my troop, it would be okay with me. I may have more Lost Boys.

Not sure he is. Not to single him out, just becoming aware of a couple of my former scouts who lost their way with their lives. And I pulled out the shoebox of memories and had a similar copy of this ad. So it goes.

Just shake my head.

camporees

No doubt some technology is undesirable if not outright evil - Powerpoint and Paypal come immediately to my mind. When I think back of the heavy gear I carried at Philmont in the 60's and consider what I would still carry today. The list begins with TP and I think it ends there. My back likes internal frame packs, tents and sleeping bags are lighter, wicking material and fleece ...even the wool is better, LED flashlights, better batteries, real backpacking stoves not sterno, Boots alone, boy do I wish I had the boots I wear now when I hiked Philmont and no we didn't have Moleskin back then. First Aid kits - Epi-pens, OTC anitihistamines, SAM split, Quickclot, Kling, ... Summer camps around here are growing their STEM offerings, one is piloting an ATV course. Kayaks are available. PFD's!!! Technology is not all computer or electronics, still back then we often carried walkie-talkies as it was Combat cool and aided the program. And I think that is the issue with technology, we often do not utilize it well to aid the program and scouts. I have seen my scouts send photos and upload videos of outings to friends and it is great advertising. My two bit-coins,

Cape Cod and Islands Boy Scout Council. Hope Nantucket wins big time!

Just rumors. There are growing technology issues within the Aims - responsible online behavior, networking with others, mental and emotional fitness. And when you consider STEM programs, Scouts are using tablets, cellphones, and laptops more and more, GPS more compass/map less, and networks at camps.... Even Girl Scouts are now selling cookies online. Hmmm?