RememberSchiff

Haven't found dual signatures burdensome as checks are signed either at troop meetings or Committee meetings. The Treasurer (TC) cannot make any payments not expressly approved by TC so after a vote at Troop Committee meeting (TCM) is a good time to dual sign checks. You do need a bank that can diligently handle dual signature checks. We units are thankfully not like Council , any troop adult can raise an issue with Treasurer, see the troop budget and bank statements. The whole Troop Committee has the opportunity to look at the current bank statement at each TCM, not just the CC. Unit Treasurer responsibilities are similar to handling a home checking account - deposits, withdrawals, record keeping. Just say no to add-on responsibilities that are not part of the job, e.g., FOS, bill collecting, scout accounts are now gone (IRS). If 1 year term is too short, how about 2 years then? I have seen too many problems with Treasurers and Committees who consider the position a lifetime appointment. "I've been doing this for x years and no one has ever asked/questioned/..." Another $0.02

Our Troop Committee notified a scout that they did not "approve" his selected Eagle adviser, another adviser would need to be selected and approved Our SM quickly correctly that. You need to stand up and right the wrongs. My $0.02

Fiscal Policies and Procedures for BSA Units FAQ is a good start: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/mission/pdf/Fiscal_Policies_Procedures_BSA_Units.pdf Alot of practical, common sense information "Treasurer - Good Practices" http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Treasurer_-_Good_Practices IMO, the critical measures: 1. As with all leader positions, GET THE RIGHT PERSON - SOMEONE WHO WILL FOLLOW THE ABOVE COMMON SENSE (and IRS) POLICIES. No corporate control freaks please..And if a prima donna will not follow the policies, replace that person with the RIGHT Person. 2. Dual signatures for all checks and other account withdrawals. 3. The WHOLE Unit Committee is responsible for financial oversight so the Treasurer must bring the latest real bank statements and the unit check ledger/book to Committee meeting. No transcriptions to a spreadsheet. Real balances and transaction histories should be reviewed. 4. THRIFTY - look at all expenditures. Are you re-registering dead wood adults at recharter? I have recommended the following for every non-profit that I am involved 1. Treasurer should be a 1 year term position with a new RIGHT person each year. 2. At least 3 authorized signatories with two of those 3 required for every check or cash withdrawal. 3. Temporary cash withdrawals should have exact amount matching deposits. So say the troop needed $200 cash for change at Popcorn Show-n-Sells. Two signatories withdraw $200 cash for popcorn sale. Unit takes in $427 that day. There should be two deposits of $200 and $227 and not one deposit of $427. This makes auditing easier. 4. Periodic account reconcilation (audits). Don't assume TRUSTWORTHY where money is involved, rather Trust, but Verify. Yep been burned more than once. My accounted $0.02

Yes that is a great scouting site as is Kudu's (where is he?) website. http://inquiry.net/

Update: No information on requirements. Estimated release is now first quarter 2015,

Our unit started brainstorming about summer camp last night. The suggestion was made to try the Summit summer camp, aka National Scout Camp even though we knew there would added travel time and expenses. Went to the webpage and found the following: "25% adult leader discount for first two leaders ($299) and for additional adult leaders for every 10 additional Scouts". Yikes, deal killed even before we got to the med forms and liability paperwork. For the council camps on our list, those two adult leaders attend free and if the camps would even think of charging adult leaders - Provo or Nogo. So we will be Thrifty, no Summit summer camp for us.

Okay, so responders say 0 change in membership, no one has mentioned an increase. If this merger goes through, it will be interesting to see where the council office will be as for many, the council camps are closer than the Mohegan Council office. I believe Pine Tree Council (Maine) moved their council hq to Camp Hinds and Knox Trail (Mass) is moving to Camp Resolute. I hope that trend continues. As for brick and mortar scout stores, I think they are heading for extinction.

Is the adult leader's name in some way different on the charter doc than his YP, e.g., Bob on one, Robert on the other?

My concern is in improving boy scout membership, that is where I believe we have the greatest impact on youth character and skills development. Around here we have seen up spikes in young Cub Scout membership but that declines in Webelos through cross-over. Burn-out, sports, the usual suspects. So yes 90% of our Boy Scouts come from Cub Scouts whether we get 1 new scout or 12 each year, but more Cub Scouts has not translated into more Boy Scouts at least not around here. So my question does anyone know of a councils merger that increased the number of boy scouts in that area? This is a goal of this merger. If so, did it take a year, two, five? My gut tends to believe that mergers at the council or unit level more often reduce scout membership than increase it.

Mohegan and Nashua Vallley Council are in talks to merge. After reading the QA released, A Case to Better Serve the Youth of Central Massachusetts. http://www.mohegancouncilbsa.org/council-merger-qa/ and taking aspirin, I wondered if any Council mergers increased the number of Boy Scouts in the affected area in a year, 3 years, 5 years? Don't want to hear about Cub Scouts or Scout Reach numbers. Just wondering.

Memory disabilities are not uncommon. Ask the scout to repeat after you (short term memory) , the Pledge of Allegiance, Oath, and Law. In severe cases, you may have to speak one word at a time. After he repeats, have him explain the meaning, etc, We have had scouts who could not fully remember these oaths at their BOR but they could remember their meaning. Encourage and build confidence. From what you wrote, I see no need to file for alternative Tenderfoot requirements. Whether the scout is interested in Eagle is irrelevant.

My unit has encountered this. The older scout patrol stopped for pizza and donuts enroute and brought it to camp. They thought themselves rather clever. By Sat lunch, their mooching off the younger prepared scouts was ! So here's what we do now at departure gathering. SPL: Are all patrols ready for campout? NSP PL: Flaming Arrow patrol is ready to light the way. Leper Colony PL: ...Well, er you see our grubmaster kind of forgot... SP: Is Leper Colony Patrol ready or not? Leper Colony PL: No, we forgot food. SM: SPL is troop ready? SPL: Troop is NOT ready, one patrol, Leper Colony, is not ready. SM: SPL do you intend to proceed without that patrol, delay departure, or cancel campout? SPL: (now a decison has to be made and more questions are asked) So far no SPL has canceled a campout and no patrol has attended a campout without proper gear and food. My $0.01 for tough love,

From website http://stemscouts.org "Become a STEM Scout today and let your curiosity take flight. We’ll connect you with a nearby Lab unit for your grade level, and you’ll be on your way to meeting new people, learning new skills and inventing and discovering new things. The cost of $150 for the year provides the tee shirt, lab coat, safety glasses, backpack and some supplies." Wow, no hassle. Reasonable yearly cost stated upfront, no fundraising. Open to all kids (well in pilot program area), simple and focused. Now don't ruin it by making it expensive ("Let's have a National STEM jamboree and it will only cost $$$ each"), time-demanding, and overly-restrictive. Oh and keep it FUN. In the Volunteer area, I saw no mention of background checks and youth protection training.. IMO, our schools should be doing this, i.e.,after-school academic programs, Old Schiff was in a Chemistry Club back in the day. People will eventually correct this and STEM scouts will fade away. . My $0.02,

Red Hot Car Hop http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Red-Hot-Car-Hop-Raises-Money-for-Boy-Scouts-277350401.html Meridian's A&W-Long John Silvers took a step back in time today for a special occasion. The restaurant hosted a Red Hot Car Hop car show this morning to raise money for the Choctaw Council of Boy Scouts. Cars from all decades filled the parking lot. The boy scouts were out selling popcorn and racing pinewood derby cars. All the money raised will benefit the boy scouts through United Way. And those who organized the event say giving back in this community is always a two-way street. "The community gives to us through coming and buying our meals and root beers and all that," restaurant operator Bud Power says. "We just want to give back to the community. Doing things like this is just a very good way to do that." "Oh, it's just fantastic," Brandon Booker of the Boy Scouts says. "Everything we do, we try to give back to the community, and it's overwhelming to see the community come out for us." Power says organizers hope to make this car show an annual event. Sounds like a FUNdraiser. I wonder if they would let Schiff bring his old RED Radio Flyer wagon?

Good overview article: http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140924/GZ01/140929602

So if your argument holds that the large majority are unfairly supporting limited use by a minority, then would you use the same argument towards selling the Summit, Philmont, and other high adventure bases? Just curious.

I am TIRED of hearing about stolen BOY SCOUT trailers. Go expensive with LOJACK http://www.lojack.com/Construction-a...s-and-Towables Go thrifty with an old smartphone and an app (you track the smartphone which was hidden inside your stolen trailer). https://preyproject.com/ Let's stop being victims; catch and prosecute the SOB's. Place a decal on side like WW2 pilots. My $0.02

Qwazse, Yeah, saw some of that when I was briefly a Crew Advisor, as school sports and clubs started charging activity fees.

Update: Sept 9,2014 http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/la...-ruled-suicide http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/09/boy-scouts-death-ruled-suicide/ "The 12-year-old Las Vegas Boy Scout who died from a gunshot wound during a late June camping trip to San Diego committed suicide, medical examiner documents show. William Grey Shook was taking medication for depression at the time of his death, the San Diego medical examiner report said. Officers were called to 1750 Fiesta Island Road just after 7:30 a.m. on June 30, one day after the Las Vegas troop arrived in San Diego. William and another Boy Scout had just pitched a tent and were inside when the second Scout turned his back to William and heard a gun fire. Arriving officers found William inside the boys tent with a gunshot wound to the head, the medical examiner report said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The gun police found near Shook body was not registered, police said in July, adding that Shook likely brought it with him. The semiautomatic handgun reportedly belonged to the boy grandfather, the medical examiner report said. William was the son of former Clark County prosecutor Julie Shook and local defense attorney John Shook, who was a chaperon on the San Diego trip for about 20 members of Boy Scout Troop 50, police said. The father told police he didnt know how the gun had gotten to the camp. The other Boy Scouts at the camp said they didnt know William had a gun and that he never told anyone he had it. After San Diego police investigated they turned the case over to Metro. Las Vegas police spokesman Larry Hadfield said Tuesday that Metro is no longer investigating the death and that no one faces charges. An obituary that referred to him as Will said the boy was an avid reader who loved cats, played the piano and could beat any video game. Will attended school at New Horizons Academy."

With no mortgage (land donated) or taxes, I'm thinking one month's rent would cover insurance. I could see maintenance being a issue - a new roof, septic system?

Maybe if one had the money or hand-me-downs, but money was tight, real tight. My father told me that in the 30's. he and his buddies joined various Harrisburg boy scout troops for just a month at a time, as after 30 days you needed a uniform. Now my father and his buddies were from union families mostly local mills. None owned a home. My father said he could put all his clothes in one shopping bag with room for his shoes. Soon they gave up on Scouting and went to the Y for a variety of youth programs which were cheaper than scouts. For lower income, urban youth the Y not Scouting was the place. My $0.02

a half hour spent in the Registry of Deeds Not around here, in a half hour you might get lucky and see someone able and inclined to help you. It would be more likely to be told to come back next Tuesday. Newer (last 20-30 years) deeds were computerized and easy to retrieve, older than that, they are archived and the fun begins. Meanwhile, people express different recollections - some first hand but faded, some third hand and jaded. And when the deed is retrieved, parts can be overruled by a court. Too often I have read of towns and contractors clearing land and building without having checked property ownership first. Oh it was okay, because a permit was issued at town hall and mistakes do happen. Often properties here in rural areas have no definitive boundary markers (steel rebar or granite posts). 5 acres more or less between a large oak on the the south, border on the east by a large rock. Frost wrote "Good fences make good neighbors" from his experience. Your second paragraph troubles me more, If Teddy Roosevelt had felt that way, would we have any national parks? One of the reasons District Camporees are dying around here is there is no place to hold them. Personally I think that camporee concept is obsolete. We as scouts are stewards of these lands and yes we predict that future generations will need trees, lakes, and outdoor places more than they will need more sprawl. If Council does not want to maintain camps for those purposes, sell them with such stipulations to those that will - Mass Audubon, AMC, local conservation groups. Be aware Council once those camps go, you are next, Speaking of Councils in general, who is in charge of camps? Well we have or had a ranger. Evelyn takes reservations until we get the online going... WHO IS IN CHARGE OF CAMPS? No one, oh maybe you will have a group of powerless volunteers overseeing maintenance issues and planning a camporee. IMO we NEED someone, A CAMP COMMANDER whose main responsibility is to proactive book and staff camp events. Summer from May 1 (college kids home) to Oct 1 should be 90% or better booked - scout troops, Autism camp, LDS week, Wilderness First Aid training programs, COPE, shooting programs, college retreats, other youth group programs not thrilled with most family camp groups. Weekends the rest of the year should be 60% or better booked. This person should proactively call every SPL and SM in council as well as other youth and outdoor groups No email, call and remember Schiff threaten to take your phones away. Call, book, staff. "Say we have a shooting program with Smith and Wesson on ...we have a few openings left. Yes the OA or Venture Crew 1 can do a provisional camp that weekend, we also have a WFA weekend. Our Hunter Safety weekend is also coming up... No that weekend is our Orienteering event weekend, the lake version....Yes it is with canoes, we call it a Canoe-O." If we can't find an experienced, enthused adult then hire our top Cub Scout popcorn seller, either way results. I can't tell you the number of weekends where I dropped in at a scout camp and hiked past empty campsites, locked canoes, closed ranges. The weekend of Aug 23-24 was beautiful and a local camp was completely empty except for RS crying like Chief Iron Eyes Cody. My $0.01 for being grumpy and I have not even watched Meet the Press yet. Too nice a day, time for a bike ride.

I can see it now - Nobscot Forest Estates. Our trustworthy builder is loyal and helpful to new homeowners desiring to custom build in a friendly neighborhood. With our courteous service, we build the kind of home... So say you had land to donate and wanted it used for outdoor scout activities and not sold later what should you do? Donation stipulations, if any, seem to be lost or ignored over time.

http://www.wcvb.com/news/man-says-bo...874208#!bPMQ3Q Knox Trail Council (MA) is evicting tenants from four houses which adjoin Nobscot Scout Reservation. One tenant had resided there for more than 50 years. This area is beautiful yet minutes to Framingham (population 68,000) and everything - very high real estate value. Since Knox Trail Council is moving their downton Framingham office to Camp Resolute, I fear a sale of these properties and maybe even Nobscot Reservation to a developer which would be just terrible. Matt Budz, the Council's scout executive, referred questions on the matter to the organization's legal counsel, Raymond Ewer. Messages left for Ewer Wednesday were not returned before the Daily News' deadline. According to the town's assessor's office, the Council acquired the parcel, which borders the Nobscot Scout Reservation, in 1971, and does not have to pay taxes on it. Peltonen said the homes are actually converted farm buildings that belonged to a farmer who previously owned the land. The farmer's daughter donated the property to the Scouts after his death, he said. Some tenants speculate that transfer might have had some conditions attached stipulating the perpetual lease of the homes. But the assessor's office had no such documents on record, and the state's Registry of Deeds' online records don't go further back than 1974, according to the agency's South Middlesex office.