RememberSchiff

Meanwhile on a lighter note ... two days later, same general area as previous post "NH PAW RESCUE - Incident Report “Crosby” - September 16, 2024 Just after 3:30 pm on Monday, September 16, 2024, NH PAW RESCUE was notified by the AMC about a dog (Crosby, 110 lbs, 7.5 yo) with owner (and 2nd dog) in need of assistance at approximately 3250’ on the Old Bridle Path on the west side of Franconia Ridge, NH. While on a strenuous hike of the Franconia Ridge Loop, Crosby’s owner noticed him slowing down and taking longer breaks approximately 5 miles into the almost 9 mile hike. The group made it to the AMC’s Greenleaf Hut and rested. After resting, Crosby made it almost 1 mile down the Old Bridle Path to 3250’, but then stopped hiking due to exhaustion and soft tissue damage on his paw pads. The weather was stable, but Crosby’s owner lacked lighting, enough gear to stay comfortable, and did not have canine evacuation supplies. NH Paw Rescue team members and other volunteers hiked up the Old Bridle Path to assist, with the first responder starting up just after 5:00 pm. During this time, passing hikers helped immensely by carrying Crosby down to an elevation of 2060’. The full NH Paw Rescue team arrived at Crosby’s location at 6:30 pm, loaded him in a rigid litter, and carried him down to the trailhead, arriving just after 7:15 pm. Crosby’s paws were bandaged, covered by booties, and he jumped into his owner’s vehicle to rest and head home. Crosby’s owner was planning to seek veterinary care. ANALYSIS: The Franconia Ridge Loop is a difficult almost 9 mile hike, climbs from 1800’ to over 5200’, is exposed to the elements for long stretches, and has very rocky footing. These factors, combined with warmer than average September temperatures, proved to be too much for a large Golden Retriever like Crosby. There are many takeaways to be learned from Crosby’s experience: -When hiking in the White Mountains, make sure to take appropriate equipment and supplies (learn more at hikesafe.com/). In particular, make sure you have warm/protective clothing, a headlamp, a map, extra food/water, and a 1st aid kit. -Be conservative with your dog’s hiking ability, especially with larger and older dogs. Stay on easy/moderate terrain until you and your dog have more experience. -Pack a dog rescue harness and dog 1st aid supplies including bandaging, vet wrap, and paw booties. Most dogs will not like having paw booties on, but they can enable a dog to walk out with minor paw pad damage. Do not attempt a hike with your dog on the Franconia Ridge (or any other mountain terrain) without this critical gear and the ability to use it. -Carefully check paw pads frequently, and address any paw pad damage before it gets worse. Keep in mind that dogs don’t often show early signs of paw distress (as many owners expect) and may only exhibit symptoms when it is severe. -Be cautious in warm weather. While this is very dog dependent, use care above 70 °F and consider avoiding any strenuous activities above 80 °F. -Keep in mind that dog rescue help in the White Mountains is not available through NH Fish & Game and official SAR teams. If volunteers are available to assist your dog, it may take many hours (or overnight) for help to reach you. NH PAW RESCUE is an informal group of volunteers available to assist with dog rescue incidents in the mountains of NH. NH PAW RESCUE is not affiliated with human SAR teams in NH or with NH Fish & Game." Source: https://www.facebook.com/nhpawrescue/?_rdr Scout Salute to volunteers of NH Paw Rescue and other hikers who assisted.

No update on hiker's condition. Prayers for a complete recovery.

The actions reported at this Scout activity deeply trouble me, while I continue to process (cool down?), here is a map for reference. Source with more details on Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume (two popular 4000-footers in NH): http://4000footers.com/hike_flume+liberty.shtml Above map: http://4000footers.com/MAP liberty flume.pdf

A 56yr old male hiker was having difficulty hiking near the summit of Mount Flume, So, he told his group of Boy Scouts to continue hiking without him, while he stayed behind with his partner. the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department statement. Hiker with a Medical Emergency on Franconia Ridge Trail CONTACT: Lt. James Kneeland 603-744-5470 603-271-3361 September 16, 2024 Franconia, NH – On Saturday September 14, 2024, at approximately 3:00 p.m., NH Fish and Game was notified of a hiker having a medical emergency on the Franconia Ridge Trail between Mt. Flume and Mt. Liberty. Conservation Officers responded to the Liberty Spring trailhead along with members of the Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team to assist the hiker. Due to the seriousness and remoteness of the situation, a call was placed to the Army National Guard Aviation Unit to attempt a helicopter rescue. While awaiting the helicopter, rescuers continued to hike up to the patient and his hiking partner. The hiker was identified as 56-year-old Chris Siano of Bolton, MA. The Blackhawk reached Siano’s location near the summit of Mount Liberty around 4:50 p.m. and was able to hoist him up and transport him to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for medical treatment. Siano’s hiking partner was identified as Lisa Costanzo of Bolton, MA, who was unable to board the helicopter and was unfamiliar with how to descend from Mount Liberty. She was met near the summit of Mount Liberty by the AMC Liberty Springs tent sites caretaker. A small team of rescuers from Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team and a Conservation Officer met Costanzo at the tent sites at 6:10 p.m. to help her on her way down. She explained they had left that morning as chaperones to a Boy Scout Troop going up the Flume Slide Trail at 6:30 a.m. Siano began to have a difficulty hiking near the summit of Mt. Flume. He later told the group to go ahead without him while Costanzo stayed with him. They summited at around 2:45 p.m. Upon decent, he began having a medical emergency and called for help. Rescuers reached the trailhead safely along with Costanzo at 9:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to help support search and rescue activities in the state by purchasing a Hike Safe Card. New Hampshire Fish and Game also reminds hikers to prepare themselves before venturing out into the wilderness, including packing the ten essential items: map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets and pants, and a knife. For additional information, please visit www.hikeSafe.com. Sources: https://nhfishgame.com/2024/09/16/hiker-with-a-medical-emergency-on-franconia-ridge-trail/ https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/09/boy-scout-chaperone-rescued-by-helicopter-from-nh-trail.html IMO, the SPL should have refused "No sir, we are NOT leaving you behind. Let's take a look at you and assess." But I dunno, maybe the SPL did and was overruled by adults. Or am I Monday morning quarterbacking here? My $0.02,

The Diocese of Youngstown (OH) parishes will no longer charter BSA units. Bishop David Bonnar mentioned insurance coverage, potential liability , and “changes in Scouting itself.” as reasons. "This policy decision will not affect religious activities and awards available to Scouts through the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, he said." https://www.wytv.com/news/local-news/youngstown-diocese-no-more-scouting-activities-on-church-school-grounds/

Michael Johnson, our previous YP exec, noted that frequency of overnights were a key difference. But if youth organizations utilized a central, standardized YP reporting and training, more objective comparisons could be made. There would also be a central, open database of disqualified volunteers. Though they are undergoing staffing and funding growing pains, I am impressed with SafeSport's transparency, for example, here is their 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports, note incident reports rose 30% from 2022 to 2023 : https://uscenterforsafesport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/AnnualReport_DataPage_062624.pdf https://uscenterforsafesport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2023-AnnualReport_071124_v3.5.pdf I am also impressed with their fully-engaged CEO Ju’Riese Colón, who was previously National Vice President of Child & Club Safety for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Executive Director of Prevention & Outreach for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). “As a result of our work, a culture shift in sport is taking root,” Ju’Riese Colón, CEO, U.S. Center for SafeSport said. “Athletes are rejecting the notion that sexual harassment is inevitable, coaches aren’t turning a blind eye to inappropriate behavior, and parents aren’t tolerating abusive practices. Together, we are establishing a culture where people are compelled to throw open the curtains on abuse rather than sweep it under the rug.” https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240627870384/en/U.S.-Center-for-SafeSport-Releases-2023-Annual-Report

Found answer. Add some historical background from https://www.praesidiuminc.com/everything-need-know-safe-sport-act/ "The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 was created in reaction to the abuse found various youth sports organizations, including USA Gymnastics. This act will create new a standard of care that will affect youth-serving organizations across the country. The purpose of the law is to expand existing mandated reporting laws to all youth sport organizations that participate in international or interstate sporting events. This has the potential to affect not only national governing bodies like USA Gymnastics, USA Swimming, and other Olympic sports, but the law will also impact camps, public and private schools, collegiate sports, country clubs, community organizations, and sport facilities."

Interesting indeed, what was the cost? I looked at their course catalog. Imagine one YPT course good for Little League, Soccer, high school sports, and ...scouts. https://uscenterforsafesport.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FSS-CourseCatalog_083122_vFinal3.6.pdf Here is the page describing their core course:

The Whittier Trust has donated $100K which will be used to replace five Pop Hutton cabins at Camp Maluhia on Maui. "We are excited to support Maui Scouting and are deeply impressed by the ‘Be Prepared’ mentality of the Maui Scouts,” said David Dahl, President and CEO of Whittier Trust Company. “Their quick response during the recent wildfires, including hosting displaced families and over 100 Red Cross workers, along with organizing supply drives and other emergency operations, truly exemplifies the spirit of Scouting.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/100k-donation-made-to-maui-camp-following-wildfire-efforts/ar-BB1qbByu?ocid=BingNewsVerp Thank you to Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez , and Whittier Trust for their donations.

Protest of selling portions of camp planned for Sunday.

IMHO, a YPT certification should be nationally or at least state recognized and accepted. If one is so YPT certified , that certification is accepted everywhere in that region. It should be officially developed and endorsed by multiple child protection organizations and be in common use by youth organizations (schools, scouts, clubs, camps, employers,...) and those individual whose job puts them in contact and care with youth (police, medical personnel) My $0.02.

I think third party YPT certification courses will increasingly be the domain of the resident state, e.g. PA, TX.

Many John Doe's In 1995-2006, these two councils inflated (30-40 or more percent) their membership numbers to secure more United Way funds. They documented ghost scouts and ghost units and paid (if registration fee was not waived) the $20/unit and $10/scout registration to National from council funds. Later they recouped that and much more from the United Way. Council membership was audited. The FBI investigated this fraud. Some professionals resigned or were removed. United Way reviewed funding policies amid their ongoing concerns about BSA membership discrimination. Atlanta Area Council "Operation First Class" https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2005/06/01/atlanta-scouts-inflated-numbers/f60b5e91-0c8d-42da-a749-91a9155fcf08/ Greater Alabama Council: https://www.parentadvocates.org/nicecontent/dsp_printable.cfm?articleID=6970

Been awhile, here's an excellent example of latest Annual Report from the Scout Association (UK). The 79 pages describes their program, plan to reach their goals, past year financials, membership numbers, safeguarding (YP) governance (names of those in charge) AND a thank you to their financial supporters. https://yuf.org.uk/sites/yuf/files/2023-12/Scouts - Annual Report 2022 to 2023.pdf Oh and its public. Scout salute.

So is Bear Grylls available?

Yes. We already have a third party for background checks.

Update 09/5/2024: Dwayne Fields has succeeded Bear Grylls as UK Chief Scout.

9/5/2024: "Dwayne Fields been appointed as our 11th Chief Scout to lead our half a million young people and adult volunteers for his values, commitment to help young people, and outstanding leadership qualities. During his time as Chief Scout, Dwayne aims to inspire even more young people and adult volunteers to join from all backgrounds. " More details and photos at source: https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2024/september/dwayne-fields-becomes-new-uk-chief-scout/

Very prudent move. IMHO we should NOT be self-certifying ourselves as competent in skills where we are at risk for liability. We only make ourselves more liable, use third party certification! ACA for camps, YMCA for swimming, Red Cross or American Heart Association for CPR/First Aid, NRA or USA Shooting for firearm safety. My $0.02,

Good memory @yknot.

IMHO, this is unlikely, as even if a club had a rimfire-only range, semi-auto's like this BSA prohibited Ruger 10-22 would be in use by club members. Most outdoor rifle ranges around here are more inclusive: 22, 30-06, 5.56, 380, 270,... all on same firing line at the same time. BTW, when you shoot at a non-BSA range, read and understand that range's rules and procedures and obey the RSO instructions. Reserving the whole range for Scouts might be a possibility. During hunting season less so. My $0.02

Update 9/3/2024: The parents of 10 year camper Jack Gear who died in this jet ski accident are bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against Middle Tennessee Council and the BSA. They claim their son's death was the result of Middle Tennessee Council’s Boy Scouts of America’s “negligence and reckless conduct.” Sources: https://www.wsmv.com/2024/09/03/family-boy-killed-jet-ski-suing-middle-tennessee-boy-scouts-group/ https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2024/09/03/family-10-year-old-boy-killed-jet-ski-crash-suing-boy-scouts-america-10-million-lawsuit-says/ Their filed complaint below appears well researched regarding Tennessee law and BSA safety guidelines (page 5, Guide to Safe Scouting and Personal Watercraft Safety Course). https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/2c/e2/06517d304288b8e197e6069629b0/gear-lawsuit.pdf

Above link has an aerial map of existing 1300 acre camp outlined in red and proposed 500 acre subsection proposed to be sold for commercial and residential development. Camp appears to be bounded by a highway and spreading real estate development.

"Some of the biggest needs for modernization (Camp Sand Hill) are new bathrooms and showers at campsites, Porter said. The current facilities are huts, some 50 years old, with little privacy for boys and girls. Outdoor showers have panels where passersby can peer in from above or below the user. Scout Executive Mike Butler said enclosed buildings with private toilets and showers will cost up to $600,000 each — eight are needed across three camp locations. The council is seeking to build a new dining hall at Camp Brorein in Hillsborough County, which will cost $7 million. Other projects at Sand Hill include a BB gun range for Cub Scouts, upgrades to the existing shooting facility and a new ropes course. If the 50-acre portion is developed by the electric cooperative, the council will have to build a new ranger home and maintenance barns that are currently on that site at an estimated cost of $800,000." Sand Hill operated this summer, so it presumably passed the NCAP Assessment Team inspection. Let's see the NCAP report. for their observations and recommendations. "The council has a $21.7 million endowment as of July 31, but $11.7 million of that is restricted and unable to be used for construction projects, records provided by Butler show. " Well now. Not a lawyer, but if Circuit Court Judge Donald Eugene Scaglione ruled DiePolder's donation restrictions are void perhaps he will rule that the Council endowment restrictions are void as well? Source: https://www.tampabay.com/news/hernando/2024/08/30/boy-scouts-explore-sale-500-acres-sand-hill-camp-brooksville/ My $0.01,

Hold the presses, not 50 acres! Tampa Bay Council is considering selling another 450 acres of Sand Hill Scout Reservation for "residential and commercial developement". With diminished membership and a need for millions of dollars worth of camp upgrades, the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America is exploring the sale of 500 acres of its 1,300-acre camp in Hernando County that has drawn Scouts from across Florida for decades. ... Now on Sept. 19, the council’s 70-member executive board will vote on whether to begin marketing another 450 wooded acres of Sand Hill on the northeast section for commercial and residential development, Scout executive Mike Butler confirmed. The board will also vote on the sale of the 50 acres to the electric cooperative if the purchase agreement is ready by then, Butler said. ... Butler said enclosed buildings with private toilets and showers will cost up to $600,000 each — eight are needed across three camp locations. (Military reserve units on training exercises might help here.) More details including photos and map at source: https://www.tampabay.com/news/hernando/2024/08/30/boy-scouts-explore-sale-500-acres-sand-hill-camp-brooksville/ Poor Larry DiePolder must be spinning in his grave.