RememberSchiff

Sorry my attempt at humor..."well intentioned creative helpers" is funnier.

Ein Oath. Ein Scouts. Ein Fieldbuche I did send my feedback, i.e., eliminate the redundant Eagle Scout Oath as well. The good ole Scout Oath will do just fine at ECOH. My $0.02,

Well a very small step of support, I ordered my Northern Star Council patch. I will sew it on when it arrives. My $1.60 + $0.45 postage

From Wall Street Journal; Some Boy Scout Troops Disregard Ban on Gays. Some excerpts: "Every year when it comes time to renew its charter, Troop 729 in New York City crosses out a promise to abide by the Boy Scouts' policies because it doesn't agree with the long-standing prohibition on openly gay members and leaders. We just don't practice discrimination in our group," said Scoutmaster Antonio Camacho. He said the troop's stance was backed by its sponsor, the Fort Washington Collegiate Church." "BSA spokesman Deron Smith said he wasn't aware of Troop 729's policies. "However, Scouting has one policy that applies to all troops and councils. Any time we're aware of any inconsistency in the administration of a Scouting policy we work with the local council to reiterate the policy and ensure its compliance with the local leaders," he said by email. " . "We want to reassure you, our friends, neighbors and colleagues, that the local Boy Scouts, Troop 500 in Amherst, does not support BSA's policy prohibiting the participation of gay adults or youths," says the letter, which is expected to appear this week. "We do not and never will discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation." . The Northern Star Council, representing more than 75,000 youth in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, according to its website, came out publicly last week saying it will continue its "inclusive leadership selection." Kent York, the council's director of marketing and communications, declined to comment further, referring to its website, which states that the council doesn't discriminate "with regard to ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, and/or sexual orientation." The BSA said it currently is working with the Northern Star Council to "clarify" its policy. (I forget who on this forum predicted this action by National). http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443343704577551162306364148.html?mod=googlenews_wsj My advice to National is hands-off Northern Star Council and observe local option at work. My $0.02

We need more adults who see the scout potential in any person. "For more than 25 years Troop 409, whose members are mostly grown men with disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism and Spina bifida, has earned 1,000 merit badges and produced eight Eagle Scouts." http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20614975,00.html Thank you Richard and Claudia Coleman. My $0.02

Dr. Sally Ride was the Right Stuff. Scout salute to the first American woman in space, a role model for young people studying science and engineering.

I think local CO rule to permit some degree of inclusion will occur before the World Jamboree at the Summit. Local exclusion is already allowed to CO's, so the flip slide will be quietly introduced. It will be a PR move, an "experiment" maybe, to soften criticism before Jambo and/or to reverse falling membership. I don't think it will have anything to do with diversity, unless we suddenly get diverse leadership at National...many more than just two corporate CEO's. My guess anyway.

Good points, but I've seen scouts serve as just labor on pre-existing wish-list projects without any real thought or leadership in the project. Not what I would like to see done in an Eagle project. Another $0.02

SP - Sure, let those be troop service projects. By the time a scout starts his Eagle project, he should be the one proposing and planning the project. Eagle scout project ideas should not be yet another adult catered affair. Another $0.01(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

This is another Eagle Project trend that I am unhappy about. It should be what Eagle project does the scout want to do, what needs does he see in his community, how does he think he can be of service to his community, and then he runs with the ball. Instead I am seeing this: SM: Well Tommy, time to do your Eagle Project, say head over to Central School, First Church, or Town Hall and ask to see the Eagle Project list and make a choice. Be sure to get the project details and contacts for your workbook. Tommy Scout: Okay, I'll have my Mom do that. SM: Good thinking, getting others involved like that. My $0.01

Over the years as the BSA slowly changed and became more inclusive, e.g., racial integration (I saw only a small part of what that editorial mentioned), allowing advancement alternatives for the disabled, allowing women in leadership roles (well most CO's anyway). Over these changes, I have seen some old scouters and traditional families leave, but over the discrimination of atheists, agnostics, and gays, I have seen more turned away or turned off from joining. Change is coming. My $0.02,(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Well done. Why argue with success? You did fine.

Don't know about other scout organizations and boxing. Maybe Seton wanted to offer a different direction from the competing military-oriented American Boy Scouts which was started by William Randolph Hearst. I think ABS scouts were required to own a 22 rifle and train with it. At some point, one ABS scout shot and killed another scout. The ABS was soon gone as well. Or maybe he equated boxing with fighting and figured boys needed an alternative? Just guesses.

Irvine TX July 19 2012 A hawk injured four people while trying to keep people away from her babies in an Irving parking lot. The Boy Scouts of America's headquarters closed a portion of its parking lot for weeks while the mother hawk raised her babies. http://privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com/2012/07/hawk-injures-four-people-including.html I wonder if the hawk's name was J.T. ?

1. I take a strip of double-sided tape to anchor just one part of the patch, say the top half or third of patch. 2. Next, I start sewing the rest (bottom in this case) of the patch. Don't sew over tape area (top of patch). 3. Patch is now anchored on bottom by stitches and top by tape. 4. Peal back patch top and remove tape. 5. Now complete sewing top of patch. 6. Done

I saw Moonlight Kingdom today, but I wish had mowed the lawn instead. On our 5 Smores rating system, I give it 1 Smore. Definitely quirky sometimes dark. About young misfits in love (PG-13), one happens to be a scout. Has some funny moments but could have been funnier. Bill Murray was wasted (that could be taken two ways and both would be correct). Some very unnecessary violence. Agree about the visuals, flat moments in story. I recognized parts of Yawgoog. I did like that the Khaki Scouts correctly wore their neckers over the collar, unfortunately the neckers were triangular cut.(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Well, I guess it was back in pre-ancient times, prehistoric times a scout waited until the next pack meeting or Court of Honor to be presented with a new badge and card in front of his parents. (Page 101 in my old Scout handbook 6th ed 1959). Teaching patience was one reason, practical logistics the other as Mrs. CM and SM , with paperwork in hand, would just make one trip to scout office each month or so. No unit rank award stockpiles. Immediate recognition came later. We lost more than we gained. My $0.02

Been there. The drive home was too much for me. I grabbed a Web parent, "You drive, I'm beat." I slept the whole way home in spite of the noisy Webs in the back seat and the requisite ice cream stop. Delegate. Exhaustion, as we both found, is no fun for us. My $0.02,

That workaround faded after one summer here. It became so popular that the volume of paperwork for doctor offices soon led to service fees (in our case first $5 then $10, not bad). But word got around and their legal advisers ixnayed the altering of the physical exam date to a date when no appointment was made and hence no exam conducted. Fraud? Glad to hear this workaround works elsewhere, but I think one or more groups need to flex here, otherwise all the kids will be allowed to do in summer is "safely" play Xbox . Another $0.01

That is the quandary. The BSA and ACA (American Camp Association) requires a physical exam (health evaluation) no more than a year before camp while many health insurers will only pay for a physical exam no more frequently than one year (two years for me ). I have heard rumors that the ACA might tighten requirements to 6 months particularly for those with asthma and other existing conditions. There is your pediatrician's schedule. There is the camp's schedule, i.e., they need the forms 2 or 4 weeks in advance to review medical histories and develop any health management plans. And around here, if your son does fall school sports, the physical exam must be after June for the coming fall. Good luck trying to schedule a June physical even 3 or 6 months prior. Some scout parents opt for a drop-in clinic at $75 or more. Recently, a couple of parents have asked if money from their Scout's account (Scoutbucks) can pay for a physical exam. No answer yet, but I cannot see an objection. Other parents throw up their hands and say no can do, their scout does not go to camp. This maybe a contributing factor to flat summer camp attendance and fewer returning campers. My $0.01(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Followup: Scouts Canada "files" independent audit by KPMG CBC News Posted: Jun 25, 2012 11:35 AM ET http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/06/25/scouts-canada-reports.html Steve Kent, chief commissioner and chair of the board of governors for Scouts Canada, says the review by audit firm KPMG "found no systemic intent to cover up or hide incidents of abuse," though it did uncover cases where the youth organization did not handle incidents "with the rigour we would expect." "When the organization's child and youth protection policies and practices were recently challenged, Scouts Canada took an honest, open and transparent approach that confronted both the good and the bad of its history," the organization said in a release Friday. "The KPMG review of suspension and termination files is a thorough, arm's-length review of all records held by Scouts Canada related to the suspension and/or termination of volunteer leaders for sexual misconduct with youth covering 64 years, from 1947 to 2011." From Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/scouts-canada-says-it-must-fix-problems-in-handling-abuse-cases/article4367804/ "Information on 65 cases, about one-fifth of them after 1992, was not given to police when allegations surfaced. And for another 64 cases, roughly split between pre- and post-1992, there were not sufficient records to be sure the cases were reported. All 129 of these cases have now been handed over to police, Mr. Kent said. He would offer no details of the individual circumstances, citing the active investigations, but suggested the cases spanned the country." The review looked at 486 records covering over a period of 64 years. It lasted seven months and a 51-page report released Monday was delivered to Scouts Canada last Thursday. The review identified findings in five specific areas: records management, governance, contact with authorities, suspensions and terminations and other observations. (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Excellent... '...we have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement. We have come to see them as the point and were happy to compromise standards, or ignore reality, if we suspect thats the quickest way, or only way, to have something to put on the mantelpiece, something to pose with, crow about, something with which to leverage ourselves into a better spot on the social totem pole. No longer is it how you play the game, no longer is it even whether you win or lose, or learn or grow, or enjoy yourself doing it Now its So what does this get me? ' and true. Scouting should be the exception to this trend. Maybe the next time I hear an adult say to a scout "and Eagle looks good on your college application...", I will offer him/her a cup of STHU. My $0.02,

maybe Astronaut Michael E. Fossum (still like Mike Rowe) "Fossum made two flights aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. On a third trip to the space station, he joined two Russian cosmonauts. He is currently a scoutmaster in Houston and remembered his time spent as a Boy Scout at Camp Perry, learning first aid skills. Scout stuff is real stuff, Fossum told the boys. About a month ago, Fossum said he witnessed a car accident where he was able to use skills he learned as a Boy Scout to help treat the victims for shock after he dialed 9-1-1." http://www.valleymorningstar.com/articles/inspires-100417-rio-astronaut.html

I don't recall stating an interpretation; Blue Water Scuba's policy was (still is?) what I quoted, be it good or bad, dumb or smart that's part of this thread's discussion. I did ask two questions about adult supervision and one about safety changes since.(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

'One person pleased to see this first major crack in wall of the national organization is Bill Van Faasen, chairman of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Also an Eagle Scout, he was the incoming president of the Boston Minuteman Council in 2001 when it became the first major council to include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy. Van Faasen said Turleys statement makes a change of policies by the Boy Scouts even more inevitable because corporate leaders on the national board cant have it both ways, running companies with inclusive policies while supporting others that dont.' http://bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2012/06/17/boy-scouts-board-member-warning-reveals-crack-anti-gay-policy/rRnyvR6HTDvKSMLnevsDQP/story.html