RememberSchiff

I wear high-visibility colors in the woods. Safety orange is good, safety blue is better. Having been shot at a few times while hiking, I got smart and wear it year around. I want to see where my scouts and others are as well. Only want earth-tone colors, then avoid spring meadows and autumn foliage. The common sense parts of LNT were already common practices and even rules set the Park Service , etc. Why buy LNT, when we already had it? Another $0.02

Baseball in summer (troop did not meet in summer), fair at bat, lousy with glove. Small bore target shooting year round. In high school played football - lineman second/third string. Played volleyball too but it was not an official team sport. My coaches and SM were fairly flexible about my participation decisions. Great to have a variety of experiences growing up. Also, how to balance your life needs to be learned then, before college.

Same for me. The old handbooks and National Park regulations simply covered the common sense parts back before a marketing buzzword, $$ curriculum, website were created. I mostly endured the LNT evangelists as well-meaning but over-hyping until they started spouting about color-neutral tents...now they are just carpetbaggers to me. Maybe they can move on to DFD, "Don't Feed Ducks" and the importance of not feeding migrating birds. My $0.02

We sleep in the same tent as we always have, no matter the Scouting event. No one has had a problem or came around quoting the Guide to Sleeping Separately. I suppose if that happened, my wife would dispatch that person or persons on a night hike with instructions not to return until they found some day light.

Yeah, I was clutzy too and I had to do weight training for months (bought a 110lb bar bell set) and still I struggled to get those pull-ups for Personal Fitness. Swimming and Lifesaving involved weeks of lap swimming at 8am. My scout handbook had a dozen page section on being Physically Strong. No weight chart, but do the math with the pull-ups. Hmmm, the fitness decline seems like 1960 - be able to touch your toes, clean and cut toenails 1980 - be able to see your toes 2000 - be able to feel your toes (while sitting) 2010 - talk to an adult about toes Some thought lowering expectations would help keep members. They were right and we produced many pudgy and obese Eagle scouts. It is common to see an Eagle photo of a fat SM awarding a fat Eagle. Ugh! Heh National, you want to preserve "The Brand" look at the current public image of an Eagle scout and then look at some 60's and 70's Eagle award photos of what it used to be. Compare membership levels in both time periods. I think nearly all realize there is a problem and lowering or removing fitness standards (Personal Fitness mb) to preserve membership is short-changing scouts, the program, and America. Personally, I think the BSA should replace the Advancement Method with the Fitness Method to better deliver on the Aims of Scouting. Take a look at the new Strategic Plan page 21, Specific Goals Specific Goals: 1. We have launched a national multiyear health and wellness campaign, Scoutings Gift to America, to promote active lifestyles, healthy eating, and appropriate weight for our youth and adult members.[May 2012] The campaign is to include structure and guidelines for coordinated national and council-level launches, program and activity support, participant recognition elements, and mechanisms and tools for communicating to the general public the impact of the program by April 30,2014. 2. We have established alliances with two or three leading organizations that have globally-respected competency in child development, healthcare, fitness, and nutrition. [December 2012] 3. We have revised current advancement requirements and unit performance recognitions to include an ongoing commitment to health and fitness within each Cub Scout and Boy Scout rank and in Venturing. [January 2013] 4. We have provided each council with a template for offering and operating (at the councils discretion) a five-day outdoor health and fitness camp for all youth living within its service area as a means of increasing health and fitness knowledge and participation among young people while showcasing the dynamic and engaging world of Scouting. [December 2012] 5. We have revised and augmented five to seven key printed and digital BSA materials (e.g., the Boy Scout Handbook, Cub Scout handbooks, and unit leader training manuals) as appropriate to include contemporary content on exercise, drug and alcohol abuse, tobacco, mental health, nutrition, youth protection, and safety. [December 2013] (that used to be in handbooks -RS!!!) Maybe change is coming. Imagine arriving at scout camp and having to put on a pack and hike to your campsite. Like the old days. Yes we had whining too, but thankfully we had leadership back then. My $0.02

Back in the day, we scouts were told not to bring money to summer camp as there was nothing to buy and why chance losing our money. So we learned to get by without soda or candy for a week, no issues of missing money for whatever the reason or enterprising scouts selling their brother's Playboys. No money, no problems. Leaders and staff could focus on teaching swimming, archery, ...scout stuff. A few years ago at one summer camp that we attended, the store was selling Ben & Jerry pints, soda, candy - no limit just before dinner. Tree bark for brains. Though the camp pulled the B&J's the next summer, they installed soda machines. We did not return, as this is contrary to the outdoor method that our program uses. As to the Health Initiative - 1. Add that Page B Medical Form Weight Chart as a requirement for each rank - no more 300lb Eagles. 2. Bring back the Every Scout a Swimmer program no more $@%#&@# Camp Splash at summer camp. At the end of the camp week, every scout is a better, stronger swimmer. 3. Tell all SM's to encourage all scouts to play school sports even it if means they miss or are late for scout activities. Be more flexible in meetings - next Monday night's meeting will be at the Y to swim. 4. Drop the notion that there has to be "snacks" at every den meeting, pack meeting, Round Table, COH... 5. Try a pilot of scouts wearing a pedometer and walking 10? miles a week. PL checks each week.Patrols complete for total mileage. 6. Get a National Leader to cheer the scouts off their duffs. Someone young and athletic, a yeah I want to be like him kind of guy. I know a Dirty Job but we know just the guy. My $0.01, time for coffee

skeptic: Superboy No. 13? http://www.comicvine.com/superboy-the-super-boy-scout-of-smallville/37-120177/ Looking at the cover, hard to believe he was considered a super boy scout.

Haven't tracked down your Superboy reference yet. I didn't know about Roy Powers, thanks. I found this http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/2009/02/frank-godwin-1889-1959-roy-powers-eagle.html Good stuff, scouts wearing neckerchiefs correctly, using rucksacks, and hiking without adults. Roy looks like a young Lindbergh. Posting graphics, I think that functionality predates this software. Thanks for the info.

Check out Wizard magazine's interview with the actor Chris Evans who will portray Captain America. "As far as the physicality goes, that comes from the serum, and I think special effects will help me carry the load. As far as who he (Captain America) is as a man, the reason he's chosen for this experiment is because he has a pure heart. It's the morality, the nobility. He's a real redeeming character to play, it's exciting to think of playing him. I actually have a friend of mine who I'm modeling the character after. This guy is actually an Eagle Scout, he's one of those guys who stayed in the Boy Scouts all the way until he was 18. He's just a good human being. He does the right things, he's open, he's honest, he's sincere, he's selfless. It's something that I think everyone aspires to. A lot of time I play characters who don't have any redeeming quality [Laughing]." Ok Boy's Life interview Chris Evans and his Eagle Scout buddy and put Captain America on the cover! In comic books, there are occasional Boy Scout references but only in dialog, that Superman or Shazam are (meaning act like) boy scouts. I have yet to see a DC or Marvel comic showing a young Clark Kent, Steve Rogers, Barry Allen as a scout. Martha Kent would have been a great den mother! Maybe next year. My $0.02(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

A buyer appears http://phillyrealestate.citybizlist.com/2/2010/12/21/Heifetz-Offers-to-Buy-Boy-Scout-Building-for-1.5M.aspx "Philanthropist and businessman Mel Heifetz submitted an offer to purchase the City-owned Winter Street property that is currently occupied by the Cradle of Liberty Council of the Boy Scouts near Logan Square. Heifetz, owner of a 48-room boutique hotel in Philadelphia, has offered $1.5 million for the property with the intent of donating it "to a nonprofit organization that does not discriminate." Heifetz opposes the Boy Scouts stand on homosexuals in its hiring policies and membership enrollment. Heifetz is a former Eagle Scout who led a scout troop while in the armed services on an American Air Force base in Germany. He currently owns and manages more than 150 apartment units in Center City. Heifetz's offer is in direct response to a proposal to sell the City-owned property, at far below the fair market value, to the Boy Scouts. That action, he believes, is contrary to a city law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or expression, age and mental or physical disability. The City has offered to sell this property for $500,000 to the Scouts, a million dollars below Heifetz's offer. ..."

Worth a try. Might be a farewell to that camp and the return to an old way of doing scout summer camp ... patrol cooking what a concept. Closing a scout reservation (make that TWO scout reservations) for summer camp usually leads directly to the selling of "under-utilized assets". Also there was no explanation as to why Western Mass troops choose to summer camp elsewhere. My $0.02

Alumni as defined at MyScouting (in member profile there is an Alumni checkoff with a "What's this?") "The definition of a BSA Alumni is a former Scout, a current or former Scout leader, family members of current or former Scouts, and anyone who is supportive of the Scouting program and would like to be connected." Though it would not surprise me if another definition is being used on this knot. My $0.02

Yes sarcasm. These often publicly available, online worksheets make it too easy for others to do a scout's work. If a scout is required to write something, have them do so on a blank paper with you present. No chance to google, cut and paste 100 words verbatim from Wikipedia or have a parent do it completely for them. If a counselor uses these worksheets, please make sure it is the scout's work. My $0.02

Seen them used at express merit badge camps and colleges, but real merit badge counselors don't use them. There are often good reference links on these worksheets to aid parents in completing worksheets for their scout who didn't read it nor the mb pamphlet either. Just hand it to counselor and beat feet. Often gives parents and scout the impression that once the worksheet is turned in , the merit badge is completed. Gimme. Now I'm sure there are some negatives to using these worksheets... My $0.01

http://www.wmascouting.org/pdf/WMC%20Camping%20Program%20Changes%20FAQ%2012-10.pdf 'Financially sustainable' = cut expenses by cutting programs, selling camps. As stated in above FAQ, they are still running some programs at those camps this summer; I wonder if they would allow a troop to run their own summer camp week? They mentioned the $100/scout subsidy but no mention of FOS in this. I thought we were funding this scout subsidy in our FOS contributions? I wonder if they still plan to rent out Chesterfield for the Mass Junior Conservation Camp as they have in past summers? It is interesting that Western Mass Council did not partner with any of the few remaining Mass camps. 'Financially sustainable' - I wonder what council services are? Training? Council Award Dinners? What money is coming in and where is it going? Do we really need a council if we have no camp? Sorry for the ramble, I am not optimistic about the continued existence of local scout camps or 'non-financially sustaining' high adventure camps in the next 100 years. My $0.01 (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Remember in April this year, National first announced the requirements for Geocaching MB and 9 months later the badge and pamphlet have finally appeared. Rather embarassing. As a result, I suspect a blue ribbon, "leadership" task force tiger team adopted a Patch First Requirements Later policy to avoid future embarrassment. Expect to see the requirements within the next 8 months, a minimum 11% delivery time improvement. My $0.01

Friends who abandon you when you get in a situation are not friends and are certainly not scouts. A scout is helpful. Stand by your scout. My $0.02

National or local, I have seen little to no promotion of Philmont during our 100th year. Jambo-Jambo-Jambo. Sigh, my oldest would rather go to the NRA Whittington Center Adventure Camp http://www.nrawc.org/ rather than Philmont. BTW the NRA Adventure Camp is fully booked for summer 2011, reservations for 2012 will be taken in spring 2011. I remember when Philmont had a backlog. Both camps are in New Mexico. Another $0.01

It also does not make sense to open another High Adventure program right now with the economy and declining registration at Philmont. Last year Philmont had a almost 50% cancellation rate and went through the entire wait list. Our council is threatening to cancel this year's Philmont trip due to low sign-up (apparently no thought was given to merging with another council contingent). It's not just the economy. There are fewer scouts, more outdoor/summer options, and frankly Philmont needs to step up their programs and do more marketing. My son looked at the recently posted film clip links to that Philmont movie. 'Wow it's beautiful but they are just doing the same stuff we do at summer camp here.' He was unimpressed with the black powder and 30-06 shooting. 'Why don't they do something more like Top Shot?'. Much of what I experienced at Philmont was new to me - backpacking, dutch-oven, rock climbing, dehydrated trail food, packing burros. Except for handling pack animals, my son has already experienced those things locally. In the past ten years or so, our unit has had about 8-10 scouts go to Jambo while 0 went to Philmont. Jambo is better marketed. Yet all the Summit presentations stress that the Summit will be financially self-sustaining. Is that a pretense to close/sell those high adventure centers that are not self-sustaining? Maybe with their "corporate model", the only way a high adventure center can be sustainable is to host a National Jambo and if that is not enough host a World Jambo? Gawd, selling Philmont would be to Scouting what selling Babe Ruth was to the Red Sox. Look how long that curse lasted! My $0.01, need coffee

It may sound too obvious, but I would say an outstanding patrol consists entirely of boys who want to do scouting - learn skills, journey outdoors, serve others,...If we keep our promise to our scouts, this is the end product of methods of scouting. But realistically, IMO "outstanding patrols" more often result (temporarily) from an all-star selection of the best scouts from across units to attend Philmont, NYLT... My $0.02 (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Back then, the community strips (town, state) denoted the location of your unit. I lived in the next town over, so my hometown name was not on my sleeve.

Not that whistles and bugles don't have service availability problems either. On windy days, if you're upwind you may not hear the call at all. Still carry a whistle, flashlight, and cellphone. Back in the day, we communicated with other patrols using walkie-talkies. Pretty cool to act like Sgt. Saunders "Checkmate King 2, White Rook calling, over." New batteries Friday night came back as dead batteries Sunday afternoon. We had signal flags too, but we rarely were in line-of-sight. 300 feet or more as we adult leaders prepare them to solo. My $0.02,

Yes slowly. I don't remember any scout stores back in the 70's. Uniforms and insignia were stocked in a corner of a general store or department store. New items CSP (ugh) were stocked as the old red and white community strips (city, town, state) were sold out. Stocking one CSP patch took far less space than the dozen(s) and dozen(s) of ever-growing number of community patches; streamlined manufacturing too. Too bad, CSP all pretty much look alike from across the room and who knows where (Pick-a-name) Council is. Transition was easier, wearing either was okay as that memo infoscouter mentioned. The Uniform Method was not added until 1980 or 81, by that time I think the transition was completed. My $0.02

Sorry I wasn't clear, it is common public knowledge that the new IH is gay. Most of the congregation and troop membership is okay with that. Council is aware of the situation. What happens? Does Council block recharter, tell and defer to National? Could appear to be a public contradiction of BSA policy. I am not saying that you are wrong, but I would hope some background checks are done with IH's and certain key leaders(scouts execs) though they may be considered not direct contact. My $0.02

So what happens if anything to a chartered scout unit, when its CO (a church) installs a new minister (the unit IH) who happens to be gay?