RememberSchiff

Interestingly, the Boys' Life Planning Calendar 2015-2014 marks no religious holidays except for Christmas. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/magazine/pdf/331-011.pdf

A Maine scout is now working on his Hornaday Award. If successful he will be only the fourth Maine scout to earn the award. The last Maine scout to earn the award did so 72 years ago! Regarding his conservation project: After meeting with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the scout Cameron Patterson learned of the staggering amount of soft plastic lures being dumped in Maine waters. Patterson will be putting out recycling containers near boat landings in central Maine for anglers to discard their unwanted soft plastic lures. “Most of the boat landings in Belgrade, both the boat landings in China and in Unity,†he said. Once the lures are collected, they will be recycled and new lures made. Some will be donated to kids fishing clubs while others will be used as part of a study to determine if the soft plastic lures are harmful to Maine waters. “We’re going to have three non-biodegradable ones and three biodegradable ones and we’re going to be putting them in Unity Pond. We’re going to have them in water seeing how quickly they biodegrade and seeing if the biodegradable ones biodegrade as the package says,†Patterson said. But his project doesn’t end there. Patterson is also organizing a massive cleanup of a quarter mile stretch at Trickey Pond in Naples, picking up lures and garbage that’s been left behind. “The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is going to have their dive teams out farther deep in the water as the volunteers and the boy scouts do up close.†Patterson says they are in need of volunteers for the cleanup effort that is happening this Saturday. Anyone interested can meet at the Trickey Pond boat landing at 10:00 a,m. For more information check the website: helpsaveourfish.com News article link: http://wabi.tv/2014/09/01/winslow-bo...aine-72-years/ Hmmm, I had not realized that discarded lures were such big a environmental problem rather lead sinkers (illegal) and fishing line. Back in the day, we used biodegradable lures - a worm on a steel hook

It happens. Usually the scout is working with a local "Wheel chair ministry" or community group to serve a member.of same. I understand the preference for an Eagle project to serve a perceived greater good or number but there are other measures. Googling: here are some examples - Wheelchair Ramp Ministry, Eagle Scout project for shut-in: http://www.frontstreetumc.org/article229627.htm - scout constructed a wheelchair ramp for a hospice patient and his elderly wife for his Eagle project. This project was done through a nonprofit organization, Barn of the Angels. http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news...082114_247138/ http://barnoftheangels.com/rosary_ramps_ministry.html - sometimes the "one" is a scout http://www.waukeshanow.com/news/66549067.html - or a young mom with MS http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1009&sid=29467807 All needed, none seemed lesser Eagle projects. I think the question is does the Eagle candidate have the passion to serve and complete the project. The number served seems less relevant. My $0.02

Speaking just about US labor unions... From the wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...uts_of_America "The original handbook used a wealth of material from Baden-Powell's handbook. The comments on loyalty to employers concerned the labor unions– the Industrial Workers of the World in Portland, Oregon protested loudly during the 1912 tour. These comments were removed from the 1911 edition and West made much of the labor positions of the rival American Boy Scouts" As mentioned boy scouts were often thought in training to be soldiers and soldiers had been used against labor unions, e.g. the bloody Pullman Strike. As a result of this tragedy, President Cleveland and Congress added Labor Day as a federal holiday. Soldiers would continued to be called to break up boycotts and strikes. So unions were not pro-military, pro-police or any similar group. Scouts may have freely worked on projects thus denying union members paid work. Another point, scouts were more likely from middle and upper middle income families and not union families. My $0.02

Religious day exclusions seem comparatively few. The feedback from our parents/scouts is not to schedule weekend activities on the following: - three day weekends (Columbus Day, Memorial Day) - both weekends of a school vacation week, so lose two weekends each in Dec, Feb, and April, and now Nov as Thanksgiving seems to be expanding to a week off. (Don't ask me what I think of the teacher's union and School Board!) - Mothers' Day weekend - June graduation weekend - even SAT test weekends and Super Bowl weekend - OA and district are quick to grab what remains, though we tend to ignore both.

Hardly. My son's IEP is available to all adults who mentor him. While there is technical information describing his situation and justifying his needs to the public school administration, the recommendations are written in layman language similar to the Health Form asking about allergies and how to recognize and react. Knowledge is power. So if I know a scout has short term memory problems, I am not going to spout out a list verbally and ask him to quickly repeat that list e.g., MBC: Ok scouts in First Aid, you come to an accident scene you need to remember the ABC's - Airway, Breathing, Circulation, MBC: Johnny in First Aid, tell me what are the ABC's Johnny: I um. MBC: Johnny weren't you listening...the ABC's Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Now tell us. Johnny: I um can't... Johnny literally cannot get the information out of his head. Now if a MBC cannot accommodate a disability when informed upfront, he should courteously inform the scout and his SM that another MBC should be sought But step back suppose the MBC had read the IEP recommendations, he or she may have learned that while the scout has short term memory and verbal processing issues, he is strong in visual memory so a graphic poster of the ABC's may have been an effective teaching method. Knowledge is power. Scout troops are similar to schools. Both can be immeasurable help in educating and developing youth or they can be hell. You have to find those schools and youth organizations that understand, care, and have the willingness to meet your son's needs. And yes it is often damn hard to impossible. My $0.01 for not being so Cheerful.

After completing outdoor training, midshipmen were assigned two crews over the next consecutive weeks. Typically, crews consisted of nine people: two adult advisors, six scouts, and an interpreter. A six-day supply of food, equipment, and personal gear had to be packed in compact bags in order to complete the 60 mile journeys. "What I love about this program is that it's youth-led," said Midshipman 2nd Class Shawn Cleary, a midshipman participant in 2013 and 2014. "By the end of the trip, the Boy Scouts would be doing tasks as well as I could myself. It's great to see them grow in just a week." Northern Tier take participants into the remote wilderness, enabling scouts and interpreters alike to enjoy the beauty of the Boundary Waters while putting an emphasis on conservation. The program is designed to challenge Boy Scouts and help develop them into productive citizens while giving them an experience they will remember. On an average trip, an interpreter and his crew will paddle through more than 30 lakes over the course of 60 to 80 miles. Since lakes aren't connected by water, crews must portage, or carry their equipment, between them. Portaging can be quite challenging, with interpreters carrying more than 100 lbs of gear on their shoulders. "When I set that canoe back down into the water after my first major portage, it was like finishing my first long distance race," said Midshipman 3rd Class David Larkin. "The feeling was exhilarating." The midshipmen offered a unique perspective to their crews. Midshipman 1st Class Tim Waterman, the president of the National Eagle Scout Association, participated in the training, as well. "I picked Northern Tier because I believe it affords one of the best opportunities here to actually make a difference in someone's life," he said. The military and scouting goes hand-in-hand. Nearly a quarter of the midshipmen attending the Naval Academy have been involved in scouting at some point in their life. Such a close relationship has given Navy midshipmen the rare opportunity to teach leadership in the same program that taught them to be leaders themselves. Participating midshipmen agreed that Northern Tier was the most hands-on leadership experience offered at the Naval Academy for summer training. A number of midshipmen plan on returning to Northern Tier in 2015. http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=82992

The National Park Service published new rules for "extended day hiking" and rim-to-rim trips by non-commercial groups, stating the changes were necessary because of the impact of the increasingly popular activity. The rules include obtaining a $175 permit -- a large increase from the previous price of "free" -- and limits on the number of hikers from each group. "Larry Abbott, CEO for the Boy Scouts of America's Grand Canyon Council in Phoenix, which oversees most of the state's Boy Scout districts except the Tucson area, says he's especially concerned that only one permit per day, per group, will be issue by the park service. If the National Park Service counts the Boy Scouts as a single nonprofit agency, only one permit per day would be issued for the Scouts' Grand Canyon Council, which is made up of about 2,000 separate troops. The limits take away the ability for several of the separate groups to do extended day hikes on the same day, even if members of each group aren't hiking together, Abbott points out. When hiking the Grand Canyon, Scout groups usually include a dozen or fewer hikers, he says Abbott could provide no estimate on how many Scouts hike the Grand Canyon each year, whether on day hikes or camping trips. He also expresses concern about the new process for proving group members are covered by insurance, and about the $175 fee, which he called "pretty onerous." For troops in low-income areas, the fee could "crush" some planned trips, he says. Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski, spokeswoman for Grand Canyon National Park, had little sympathy for Abbott's criticism. Several Boy Scout troops could do day hikes under one Boy Scouts permit, she tells New Times, and the 30-person maximum rule would apply for the total number of people doing a rim-to-rim hike.." http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/val...and_canyon.php

I wish it always worked that way but I have rarely found that new parents voluntarily come forward with this information. We have to be proactive and ask them directly, perhaps as they complete the joining application and again when they submit their scout's Health Form. As a unit, we need policies that reflect our abilities and comfort zone as leaders. In the process, we may recognize the need for required parent involvement, further training or additional help for this scout to participate, or we may realize that our unit cannot serve this scout (feel sad but not guilty) For prospective new scouts, I try to ask both parents, hopefully separately and in a friendly way, that I need a heads-up in working with your scout. Usually my questions flow this way, first I ask "Every kid is different. What are the most important things that I and the troop needs to know to successfully work with your son?" Listen. If the following information was not revealed, then I probe further. - behavior issues, anxieties - food allergies - friends in the troop, past issues with making friends, bullies - special needs - IEP (individual education plan), if so tell me more. - school problems Time consuming, not perfect, and it has to be done in a friendly way, i.e., no interrogation. My $0.02

Not saying that anything is wrong here but it just seems odd to me. I am doubtful that the intended outcome will happen, oh and the Girl Scouts are interested in the new school building too. I wonder if Irving was disappointed about the beneficiary or maybe other BSA National Foundation donations have gone to non-BSA groups? "...On June 16, Austin ISD’s board of trustees approved accepting an anonymous donation so that the district can begin planning for a 14,500-square-foot applied technology center to be constructed on the east side of the Anderson High School campus at 8403 Mesa Drive. An anonymous donor offered to give Austin ISD $59,000 for work on the center. The same donor plans to later make a second gift through the Boy Scouts for America National Foundation for construction and other costs...." ...then on Aug 26 "...Trustees late Monday night also approved an anonymous $2.9 million gift to go toward building a 14,500-square-foot Applied Technology Center on the campus of Anderson High School. The facility could daily serve between 400 and 500 students daily from Anderson and other high schools. The anonymous funders, who are giving the district the financial gift through the Boy Scouts of America National Foundation, stipulated that when the facility is not being used by the district during non-school hours, the Boy Scouts of America Capital Area Council would have priority access to the building..." http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/n...ch-center-at-/ http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...n-opera/ng9TZ/

I have not been a Perry fan but IMO he has handled this nonsense well. I like the double-sided T-shirt which his supporters are now selling. No the backside is not Hillary/Benghazi but that may be coming soon.

Absurd. Camp usage fees up? Seems they should be down to 0 from the closing and selling of camps by Michigan Crossroads Council. A few weeks ago, they sold Camp Awagam for $1,025,000 (appraised value $1.5mil). http://www.clarkstonnews.com/Articles-News-i-2014-08-06-255792.113121-sub14474.113121-Orion-Twp-purchases-Camp-Agawam-for-1025-million.html My $0.02

Well you would not likely use a throwing knife for the utility tasks that scouting knives are used - cutting, whittling/shaving, a throwing knife is only thrown at a target like arrows and bullets which we consider weapons. We are not saying no, we are saying we adults will keep them secure until the activity safely starts. Not a javelin, but we had a scout bring a set of 3 atlatls. I took charge of them quick. Have not seen any swords yet.

Ashyton's disabilities include autism, cerebral palsy and difficulty eating and speaking Great story. Watch video http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2014/08/23/boy-scout-pursues-dream-despite-autism/14506161/ Scout salute

No response to my emails. Yesterday, I was near one of the camps that I was seeking a reservation so I dropped in to see the camp ranger. He wasn't there but he was thoughtful enough to leave a note on his office door with a phone number that I had called in vane. I noticed there was an outside group camping there. Rather unusual camp gear.

If you reached a summit with a USGS marker, then you earned it. Note there is space to engrave information as you choose and can fit - summit, elevation, or date, or With My Dad,... This ebay seller has that medallion and specific summit medallions. http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=BOY%20SCOUT%20SUMMITEER%20HIKING%20STAFF%20MEDALLION%20USGS%20I%20MADE%20IT%20SUMMIT%20BENCHMARK%20BSA&_itemId=390680863449

CP, I like it! So far, no response to my emails either. Yo Al dwn dey www

Here's my money saving idea - cancel all Council phone (landline, cellphone) contracts. Over the past 2 days, I have phoned 3 councils multiple times and spoken to no one. Their robo messages seem to indicate they prefer e-mail, so let them have email and save us money by removing all phones. If I don't get any response emails by tonight, I'll tweet Al Gore who will take their internet away.

IMO, keep the scouts in the loop during research particularly about SAFETY. We were concerned about two issues: 1. knife bounce-back. New throwers are often inclined to throw a knife like a fast ball. Lighter knife mass and target geometries and hardness come into play more so than with heavier hawks. Couldn't find any knowledgeable instructors. 2. Scouts wanted to freely bring their knives which raised safety concerns as adults wanted throwing knives under lock. Agreement on this was not reached so end of game. Our scouts viewed a throwing knife the same as a scout knife. Adults viewed a throwing knife as a weapon same as a rifle. Some of us adults remember throwing scout knives in a dumb game of chicken. So no knife throwing range yet and maybe never, but we had some good safety discussions. Some links from our research. Professional group http://www.akta-usa.com/docs/rules.htm target http://www.instructables.com/id/Portable-AKTA-style-target-for-knife-and-tomahawk-/

I dunno since he has started wearing glasses, he has a Clark Kent alter identity working for him. t Mug Shot - guy no glasses, blue tie. Presidential candidate - guy with glasses and red tie.

8/18/2104 Homeland Security OIG released their official report All press releases http://www.oig.dhs.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=211&Itemid=201 Investigation of Alcan Boy Scout Encounter (allegations denied across the board, interesting how marijuana came up in the report.) http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/pr/2014/Inv_Alc_Boy_Sco_Enc.pdf Allegations of CBP Gun Incident with Boy Scouts Unsubstantiated http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/pr/2014/oigpr_081814.pdf

Albeit late, the PLC has decided their program year which the Troop Committee approved. Now to make the reservations. Regarding scout camps, some councils have an online system, some are still usng phone call and/or mail-in reservations. Worse some scout camps are holding off taking reservations on some fall weekends until districts and maybe OA post their camping plans, but that's another topic. So can you reserve a weekend campout online with your council?

Thanks for the information Merlyn. I found no information regarding recall elections in Travis County where she is DA.