RememberSchiff

Yes. Oct, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/nyregion/06abuse.html "The United States Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport to delay the court-ordered release of thousands of legal documents from lawsuits filed against priests accused of sexually abusing children." After losing that, the Bridgeport Diocese is lobbying for a change in the statute of limitations on such claims. http://www.bridgeportdiocese.com/legalert-HB5473-faq.shtml I believe the Boston diocese was required to do so earlier (2003?) by Massachusetts State court. When in Rome, say hello to ex-Boston Cardinal Bernard Law. My $0.01,

Without assistance means no help supplied. The intent here is this is the scout's project to demonstrate his carpentry skills to his counselor just as vocational students do today with their teachers and as apprentices/journeymen have done with guild masters in days of yore. I think the ramp would be a great service project, whether the scouts work equally or not, demonstrate skills or not. Would I credit this for Carpentry req #6. Nope. My scouts had to draw simple plans and build well accordingly. Proper use of tools and materials. Dimensions true. Strong, square joints. Sanded, finished. Pride in workmanship. Historic concepts? My experience has been that double-dipping leads to triple-dipping, etc. The scouter.com webserver has be acting like a SEscouter.com ... not very accessible. My $0.02

This seems like putting the cart before the horse. Council/District trains volunteers but Council/District has not kept track of who they have trained! Before the BSA can effectively mandate that whoever is whatever trained by such and such a date, you first have to get your record keeping in order. Why doesn't the Centennial Quality Council Award http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/513-190-1_wb.pdf include a line item like the following: "11. All leader training records are up to date and these records have been reviewed and certified by all unit training coordinators"...or something to that effect. That said, if I was re-designing this broken process I would augment MyScouting to allow registration of instructor-led courses by Council. At the completion of the course, the instructor lets Council know who completed. Council brings up their courses on MyScouting and checks off the graduates. Whether the scouter is from a different district or transfers later would not matter as his online training information is linked to his name and BSA ID. Council would no longer keep any individual or unit training records that would be National's responsibility. My $0.02

Deja vu all over again? Jan 12, 2010 Scouting Magazine "announces" the Historic merit badges with requirements. Scouts catch the enthusiasm from old timers (like me) and immediately start working on Carpentry, Signaling, Pathfinding, and Tracking merit badges in order to complete by the BSA 100th birthday Feb 8, 2010. They will not receive the merit badge then. Three months later, Apr 1, National "officially" announces on scouting.org these Historic merit badges such that scouts can now start (legally?) working on them and receive badges. Apr 4, 2010 Scouting magazine "announces" Geocaching Merit badge with requirements. BSA partners with Groundspeak (geocaching.com) to develop this merit badge. Groundspeak creates a Geo-Scouts program with many local geocache events. Scouts already have the enthusiasm for GPS as well as many scouters. Many scouts earned this merit badge at May GPS events. Summer camps have borrowed GPS units and ramp up to offer Geocaching merit badge this summer. Two months later, National still has not "officially" announced Geocaching merit badge on scouting.org, no merit badge pamphlet, no badge ... My guess is there is 3 month lag from Scouting magazine announcement to National official announcement so July 4??? More alacrity, less dilly-dallying National. My $0.02

The topic here was to open Cub Scout camp to others, not merging with other groups. I welcome Del-Mar-Va Council's experiment as it may increase membership (albeit just from boys) and lead to improved summer camp programs as we get ideas from others. Or maybe it just keeps another scout camp from going under financially. I for one would take the swimming program from Y-camps or 4-H over what I have seen at our Cub Scout Camps. I would settle for 4-H's prohibition against candy and other junk food at the camp store. But forget program, lets put on a council hat and think just money (you know the ones who see it is easier to sell a camp, than grow a camp). 4-H camps in my state are in sad shape this summer - a well did not get drilled at one, another had maintenance/cost issues, anyway the situation was so bad that 4-H told members to use camps in Maine and Mass. What an opportunity missed to get that business and maybe new members. Meanwhile anybody wanna buy an airshow ticket $25 a head? Another example of short sightedness is a that a unit should be able to invite a non-scout along for a camp week on a space available basis. Good for the the boy and good for us. 'Harrumph, butta butta no way says Council because well because (you pick an non-justification - insurance, never been done, can't participate in the program without a uniform can't wear a uniform without being a member, what no advancement...)' For the MBA-wannabees call it an Outreach program and add the headcount, but make it happen. I think the 100th year of Scouting would be a great time to put out the welcome mat to non-scouts to attend scout camp. My $0.02 (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

4-H has been doing this for years. Campers are boys, girls, members, and non-members and are grouped only by age for the week's activities. On Sunday or Monday, group members vote for their week activities. Works well for campers and camp (more camp weeks and full bookings most weeks). Less structure, more fun. My $0.02

"That is why it is important for black male children to see successful black male adults to emulate. Same for white female children and the rest of the world population. That doesn't make anyone better or worse, that's just human nature." I guess if we continue to think of ourselves by race, sex, religion, origin and not as just people that unfortunately may be true. My hope is that the many examples that we have to the contrary, e.g., Baruch Obama will lead children to consider role models from the whole population. My $0.02

B-P borrowed, collaborated, and organized well, so I think it is hard to know at times whose "work" it was. Was it B-P? Or maybe Simon Fraser (Lord Lovat) who formed the Scottish Highland regiment Lovat Scouts (British Army) or Major Frederick Russell Burnham (an American) who trained the Lovat Scouts and B-P for that matter or ... ? My $0.01

Thanks for the corrections and embellishments.

My understanding was that Baden Powell just used an existing British Army "Scout" insignia from those soldiers designated to lead the way. Later he added the Scouting meanings previously stated to this design of a commonly used insignia. Here's an interesting link about the history of the Scout fleur de lis or arrowhead. http://www.scouting.milestones.btinternet.co.uk/fleur.htm My $0.02

What council wants and what makes sense can be two different things. Do you really want scouts going door to door with a wad of per person per day tickets overvalued at $20 each? For an experiment in trustworthiness, why not just hand scouts a wad of $20 bills and ask for all the money back in two weeks? Gamestop here I come. The sales transaction for a family of four would be $80 with no refund or transfer if the weather is bad. Yeah that will be a fast seller door to door three months before the event in this economy. You might be able to sell some to parents at a troop meeting...maybe. A supervised, group selling event with decorated booth at a mall, etc. would be better than door to door. Still this is alot of bucks to dish out as families are scaling back summer plans. When was the last time you paid money to see the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels? BTW, their performance is free, courtesy of our tax dollars. Ask what percentage after expenses does the Council get back from this national airshow promoter. Probably not what you wanted to hear, so you get a 50% Schiff discount. My $0.01 (which is more cents than this council idea) (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

U.S. Cavalry http://www.uscav.com is one , search for name tapes if the link below does not work. http://www.uscav.com/search.aspx?Search=name+tapes&TabID=1&os=1&CatID=5230 hope this helps,

Agreed Eagle is NOT the goal of Scouting or the purpose of SM. In the SM role of "delivering the promise", the purpose of the BSA, that does not have to be performed explicitly or exclusively by the SM. Delegate. Other adult leaders with different personalities, perspectives, interests, and approaches may be more successful - "adult association". A SM conference can be handled by an ASM. Very few SM's can effectively reach all their scouts, that's why we have help. Partial successes count. My $0.02

The DL needs to be at this meeting with DE, CM, CC, COR to give his/her side. Do not be surprised if COR is a no show. Prior to meeting this DL should receive a list of legitimate complaints, who is complaining, and then ask for someone from Council and/or the COR to check into those complaints with den parents, etc. The complaints may or may not be legit and the conclusion may be just adults who cannot get along. If his den loves him/her and you and the CC do not, expect that whole den will transfer elsewhere...maybe to your old pack where you did not get along. Good luck to all involved, particularly the scouts. (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

How do his den parents feel about this? If they have no complaints then this situation gets murkier. I take it this leader's son is also in the den.

Understand I'm just asking. I know little about LDS, other than hearing that Spock maybe did little too much LDS back in the '60s at Berkeley. 1. Did LDS approve National creating coed Exploring and Venturing which has local gender option with LDS crews choosing not to be coed? 2. Did LDS approve the changes by National to allow women in adult leadership roles which also appears to be a local opt-out with LDS? My $0.01

Nope urban myth. You need not be a resident within a Council's geographic boundaries. Many attend church, etc. across state and council lines and elect to join the units sponsored there. Split custody is another situation where a scout might join a unit in a different council. In my case, I opted for the better Council. My $0.02

Good discussion. Everyone got the merit badge name right but me I used the old name Auto Mechanics, sorry. The merit badge is now called Auto Maintenance and I think it is one of the harder merit badges. Hats off to those ambitious scouts, who on their own, undertake and earn it! By 16 yrs, I would expect a scout to demonstrate more maturity and self-motivation in planning to reach his life goals - college, drivers license, Eagle Scout, whatever. Sadly, my troop has unmotivated, parent-micro-managed Eagle Scouts which to me is a contradiction. Self motivation is part of Scout Spirit for me. Another $0.01

Scouts should be self-motivated towards their advancement. There is more quid pro quo going on today not only between parent and child but within scouting too. An individual merit badge seems innocent enough (Auto Mechanics is a tough mb), but where does it stop? Maybe there should be an added requirement on all merit badges - "I undertook this merit badge because I wanted to and earned it without accepting any bribes". Could be worded better but you get the idea. If I was part of a BOR and asked a scout, "What motivated you to take the path to Eagle?" Scout: "My parents promised me a car." RS: "Was there any other motivation? What if there was no car offer?" Scout: "No. Probably wouldn't be here." I would vote no. He wanted a car not Eagle. My $0.01, (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Huh? Mason had two months to man-up before the fine was imposed. April 28 - Mason was rescued. He was praised for using his scout skills sleeping in the crevice of a boulder and jump-starting fires with hand sanitizer gel to get himself through his self-inflicted predicament. Early May, after Fish and Game had interviewed those involved, these statements were released (Nashua Telegraph, Washington Post): Mason was negligent in continuing up the mountain with an injury and veering off the marked path, Fish and Game Major Acerno said. Negligence, he said, is based on judging what a reasonable person would do in the same situation. "When I twist my ankle, I turn around and come down. He kept going up," Acerno said. "It was his negligence that led to him getting into that predicament," he said. "Once he was in that predicament, yes, that's what we praise him for he used his Boy Scout skills, and that's why he's still alive." Mason had crampons, snow shoes and an ice pick with him, but did not bring overnight gear since he was planning a day hike. He discussed his itinerary with a supervisor at the Pinkham Notch Lodge before setting out. His mother, Jory Mason, called the lodge when she did not hear from her son that night. Acerno said Scott Masons negligence began with his itinerary. After he injured himself, Acerno said Mason made the decision to get off the trail to find a faster way back to the lodge. He was not staying on the trail, Acerno said. Our volunteers ran the trails of his itinerary but he began bushwhacking and navigating through places he should not have during the spring. He took an undesirable route, crossed streams that are swollen in the spring, and tried to make his way out rather than turning around on the trail and hiking out that way. We looked at everything and in the departments opinion he was negligent in totality. ------- High rescue costs are being reported which will over-strain Fish & Game's rescue budget. It was clear that Mason donating his $1000 savings and walking away was not a mutually agreeable solution. My opinion, he should have stepped up in May and stated something to the effect 'I cannot begin to repay the costs but maybe there is another way I can pay back you folks'. I would not be surprised if Fish & Game would come up with some options. Maybe work on their Hike-safe program (started in 2003) or do maintenance at the state parks on the endangered list. But Mason did not, maybe he was hoping this 25K problem would go away. Two months! July 11, Mason family receives $25K bill. Time to lawyer-up. Now if NH Fish & Game & the NH Attorney General were the twards or whatever being insinuated, then Mason would have lost his Massachusetts drivers license followed by a lien on his family's home, and they sure could have made his college application process difficult too, but NH did not do anything like that. All that happened was these lawyers from Mass drove up periodically and talked and maybe looked at our autumn leaves. After Oct, there was hardly any news about this matter. In a letter sent April 8 to Masons legal counsel, New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney and New Hampshire Fish and Game Executive Director Glenn Normandeau wrote: We hope that the publicity about his experience has served as an important teaching moment to others considering hiking in the White Mountains, so they might know that the dangers and risks of doing so should never be underestimated. I doubt NH Fish & Game ever intended to make this young man pay up. I think Fish & Game wanted to teach a lesson and reduce the number of hiking emergencies that were straining the Fish & Game rescue budget. NH turned a negative situation around into a positive, the Mason family hired lawyers. My last $0.02,

I could be wrong on the diagnosis. His skin appeared red and swollen to me - chilblains maybe? but if the docs said sunburn so be it. Some of my (old) texts and I combine chilblains with frostbite as both are cold weather tissue injuries and similar in appearance (early frostbite stage) and treatment. And yes on exposed skin, windchill causes a quicker onset of both. Another safety concern was the "going lite" comment, as I mentioned things can happen on the trail - injury, weather change, getting lost. By AMC standards, he did not even carry the gear for a three season hike let alone a winter hike http://www.outdoors.org/recreation/hiking/hiking-gear.cfm http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/web/winter-gear.cfm Be prepared. He wasn't, but he was extremely lucky. Scouting would better serve youth by manning-up instead of lawyering-up. Be honest and forthcoming about our mistakes, learn from them and pass that learning on to others. Turn incidents like this around. Better for the scout, better for the community, and better for the BSA. I wish this scout (and his family) would have said to NH Fish & Game, "I made mistakes in taking this trek. I have come to realize how much effort and risk others took to ensure my safe return. I want to give back to those that came to my aid, maybe I can help teach others and reduce the number of winter rescues..." Scout character. Instead of here is $1000, thanks and then hire a string of lawyers. Despite attempts to vilify NH Fish & Game, they are great people and very involved in outdoor education http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/ Which has me wondering if NH Fish & Game ever intended to collect this fine, maybe they wanted the shock value to get hikers thinking? The number of rescue calls appear down, maybe there were fewer untrained out-of-state hikers Another $0.02 (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Looks like he had first degree frostbite or windburn on face and hands. Yes, you can get frostbite if the air temp is above 32F which seems contradictory. It is called the wind chill factor. Temps were above freezing but in the upper 30's to 40's. It was windy - 40mph or more, 90mph gusts over those days. Looking at NOAA's windchill chart, with 40deg air temp but 40mph wind gives a skin temp of 27deg. You can check the "Summit weather archive" http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/summit.php When you day hike in these mountains, no matter the time of year, you should be prepared to stay overnight. The weather can suddenly take a turn for the worse, you can get lost, or you can get hurt. I had not read any reports of a bivy sack, tarp, sleeping bag; the reports I read said he curled up in snow caves. No stove? No fuel? He wasn't prepared for a day hike that could go wrong. Thank heaven for flammable hand sanitizer. Rather than put spin on stupidity or bad mouth his rescuers and the State of NH, I think a better approach would be for this young man to do a serious community service project along the lines of winter trek safety. I don't want to read about a lost scout's body being recovered after a failed day hike in the NH mountains. Safety first. Another $0.02

He did not have sufficient gear for a winter trek. No stove (he lit hand sanitizer), no tent, no sleeping bag. Look at his frostbite in the rescue photos. Self-rescue? Well I guess, if seeing your rescuers approaching you and you don't walk away or waving to a rescue aircraft looking for you is self-rescue. There was consensus among his rescuers and NH Fish Game that he was unprepared. NH Fish Game then sought reimbursement under the 1999 NH Reckless Hiker law which was co-sponsored by a former scoutmaster. This young man was not the first person or even scout to be billed under that law. The bill was a record amount but so were the resources committed. Rescuers have been known to take risks, some have died, in their attempt to bring the lost out alive. I was sorry to hear some were injured during this rescue. Another $0.02

There is more background information in this thread http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=245018&p=1 Unprepared for conditions or overnight stay, hiked during the most perilous time of year (winter/spring) to hike the Whites, and hiked alone. I would say those first two constitutes negligence. His parents reported him overdue for his DAY hike and requested rescue which over three days involved emergency resources from 3 states (NH, VT, ME). A fourth state, his home state of Massachusetts, refused parent's request to send Mass State Police helicopter to aid in search. The positive 1. He did not die 2. No rescuers died either, though some were injured during stream traversals. Not all rescuers were tax-paid professionals, some rescuers were experienced volunteers. 3. He did not do this stunt during the BSA 100th. I hope he has or will perform some serious community service in lieu of the financial penalty. Previously, I suggested enlistment in the NH National Guard where he might experience the risks of being a rescuer firsthand. Another idea, setup up a real winter outdoors trek training program with NH Fish & Game, maybe AMC, and our own OKPIK scouters in Maine. As I understand he had earned Wilderness Survival mb prior to this trek. We all do stupid things from time to time, but I expect scouts and scouters to make amends for their actions or has scouting now lost that distinction too? Specifically, he should work to turn the negative around and make a overall positive outcome, until then I remain disappointed. My $0.02, (This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Eagle Scout off the hook for $25K rescue bill - Nashua Telegraph, Sat Apr 10,2010 http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/699918-196/state-wont-charge-teen-25000-for-white.html CONCORD New Hampshire has decided not to go ahead with a controversial attempt to charge a Massachusetts teen $25,000 to cover costs for a search and rescue in the White Mountains last year that involved a helicopter. New Hampshire Fish and Game said it has decided not to pursue collecting the reimbursement because of (Scott) Masons personal circumstances and conditions at this time. The department reserved the right to bring action in the future, however. Mason, an Eagle Scout who as 17 at the time, spent three nights alone on Mount Washington last April after he sprained an ankle and turned off marked trails while hiking alone. The search included a helicopter, but rescuers on the ground ended up spotting the teen and leading him to safety. Masons lawyer, Pamela Kogut, said her client and his family were grateful to New Hampshire rescuers and appreciative of the decision to drop the fine. Mason is now 18 and a senior in high school. We have long maintained that Scott took his responsibility as a safe hiker very seriously, and that he was not negligent, she said. We also believe that for a young man and a hardworking middle-class family, assessment of more than $25,000 was not warranted. The fine was the largest of its kind ever imposed in New Hampshire, one of eight states with laws allowing billing for rescue costs. Three states besides New Hampshire Hawaii, Oregon and Maine have laws allowing agencies to bill for rescues, but only Maine has attempted to recoup money a handful of times and the bills were never paid, according to an Associated Press review last year. California, Vermont, Colorado and Idaho have laws allowing state agencies to bill in limited circumstances, but the laws are rarely enforced. National search-and-rescue organizations dislike the laws. They worry the possibility of big bills could cause hikers to delay calling for help, putting them and rescuers at greater risk. State authorities praised Masons skills when he was lost which included sleeping in a boulder crevice and starting fires with hand sanitizer but said Mason wasnt prepared for the conditions. Three months later, the state presented him with the bill, which produced a long and heated debate about the need and propriety of charging people for rescue. At the time, the news caused a firestorm of attention, with hundreds of Web sites, blogs and ABC News picking up the story. A scoutmaster from Maryland set up a Facebook page in Masons name to raise money. Despite some fallout, several state officials interviewed stood by the law. The charge came about partly because the traditional funding for search and rescue operations in the state a $1 surcharge on off-highway recreational vehicles and boat registrations was falling well short of costs. Fish and Game Lt. Kevin Jordan said there was a lot of compromise on both sides. Masons family sent the state $1,000. Weve reached what all of us believe is a reasonable conclusion that pursuing the reimbursement at this time would not be appropriate, Jordan said. In a letter sent April 8 to Masons legal counsel, New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney and New Hampshire Fish and Game Executive Director Glenn Normandeau wrote: We hope that the publicity about his experience has served as an important teaching moment to others considering hiking in the White Mountains, so they might know that the dangers and risks of doing so should never be underestimated.